Recollections are unvoiced stories unlocked by leveling up Remembrance Vessels.
Recollections Per Remembrance Vessel[ | ]
 | Transcluded ScriptThis section contains story script that was transcluded from the game with the help of OCR tools to avoid human-made mistakes as much as possible. Generally speaking, it shouldn't be altered unless the in-game equivalent has been changed. Any typos or other errors that are also present in the game are to be retained on the wiki but can be marked via {{sic}}.Chinese and Japanese romanizations and translations, if present, are unofficial. |
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Hero's Memory[ | ]
Rumor: Coldness[ | ]
- Last updated: 2022-04-23
- Requirement: This Flame-Chaser's Remembrance Vessel reaches Lv. 1
"Fuxi... you again? No, no matter what you say, it's still a no. It was you who spilled the beans last time... Huh? I'm the most well-informed person in the base? I guess that's true..."
"I guess I could tell you about it, I mean it's not like it's top-secret... Wait, you must not have seen Kevin much lately if you don't know about it."
"His side effects are well-controlled now. Though he still can't make physical contact with other people, at least he won't accidentally hurt other comrades around him anymore."
"Sigh... Back then, after the 7th Herrscher incident, I saw Kevin walking alone on a lake."
"Walking?"
"Yeah — every inch that he passed over was frozen because of his excessively low body temperature."
"But if you think about it... that's not necessarily a bad thing."
"For a MANTIS, it's not a big deal to have low body temperature, am I right?"
"You must've noticed it too — on hot days, Kevin would become much more popular all of a sudden... Even Dr. Mobius showed up beside him a lot more often than usual."
"Mmm."
"By the way, Elvin, do you know anything about the cat that occasionally appears around Kevin? I heard someone else mention it once."
"What? A cat? How is that even possible? What kind of cat can stand such low temperatures? Whoever told you this must have seen it wrong..."
The Demon[ | ]
- Last updated: 2022-04-23
- Requirement: This Flame-Chaser's Remembrance Vessel reaches Lv. 2
"He's got potential. What say you?"
"Why are you asking me?"
The green-haired girl put down the files and raised her head to eye the aloof-looking man.
"Stop pretending, Kevin. I know your relationship with him, and I know you cut him off after you joined the MOTHs... to keep him from finding this place."
"He's your opposite. He won't agree to work with you."
"... But that assumes we have other options."
"He'll understand, right?"
"..."
To the girl's delight, the man fell silent. Reptilian eyes glinting, her lips curled into a sneer.
"It's about time you drop the good guy act, Kevin."
"I'm well aware that I've crossed the line. But what about your dear MEI? Is she any different from me?"
"Oh, there's a difference."
"She's far crueler and colder than me - because she only makes rational choices."
"..."
“Pure rationality... is the real monster. You know that, don't you?"
Crimson Ice[ | ]
- Last updated: 2022-04-23
- Requirement: This Flame-Chaser's Remembrance Vessel reaches Lv. 3
By the time the reinforcements arrived, the 11th Herrscher had already been strung up on an inscrutable crucifix, never to make another sound.
Even the strongest-willed among the warriors shed tears — they believed that this was the end for them, that this would be the grave of them all, warriors and former friends alike.
But victory came ever so suddenly... and ever so incomprehensibly.
There was ice, crimson ice everywhere.
Although the battle had ended some time ago, the chill that surrounded that man still wrapped the entire battlefield. All the blood had been spilled upon this land was frozen in mid-air, trapped like a frozen dark-red tableau of sea-spray A violet glow slowly extinguished amidst it all. Even that eternal rose of crystal threatened to wither and shatter in the face of the tragedy before them.
Carrying the unconscious girl, Elysia stood before that man.
"Kevin... How are you going to explain this? This is not the ending she would have hoped to see."
"Hua will understand."
"It is just as I said. We had no other choice."
Ice and frost spread out like the veins of a leaf under the man's feet. The chill he wore like a cloak grew stronger in an instant.
"Kevin..."
"You may not wish to admit it, but you're practically an extension of Mel's will right now. Understanding you... is not a difficult thing to ask."
"Even today, you're just following her orders. I understand that."
"But look at the people who have fallen. They were your comrades. They believed in your strength and resolve more than anyone."
"Everyone understands how they would end up from the start. But still, they stepped forward... Because they believed in you. They believed that you would bring us victory and hope."
"Look at their faces, Kevin. Will your tears... freeze?"
"..."
"Their hopes have been forged into the hopes of many others. Were the circumstances any different, I would've made the same choice nonetheless."
"We cannot cling to past, Elysia. We are fighting for humanity's future."
"...I hate people who don't keep their word."
Gazing down at the girl asleep in her bosom, Elysia lightly tapped her own forehead against the girl's brow.
"But thanks to you, I can never fulfill my promise to her."
She said little else, and taking Hua with her, she turned to leave.
The man stood alone amidst the scarlet icy ocean for a long time.
He was the victor, but no one would cheer him.
No one would cheer for such a tragedy.
He was the victor, but no one would cheer him. No one would cheer for such a tragedy.
Suddenly, the man seemed to notice something.
He heard a sound. The sound of breathing.
As everyone watched, he raised that greatsword that symbolized destruction... only to break the frozen ground at his feet.
As they all watched in shock, he dug patiently until that faint breathing once again reached his ears... and those of everyone else.
"Can you still stand, Kalpas?"
Some Reminiscences[ | ]
- Last updated: 2022-04-23
- Requirement: This Flame-Chaser's Remembrance Vessel reaches Lv. 4
"No, MEI, that won't be necessary."
"That's enough. Get behind me, none of them... will live."
"..."
"Kevin, we all know that you're not ready yet. Hand Judgment of Shamash to me for the time being."
"I never expected that L10-461 had powers that could wear you down like that... I'm sorry for not foreseeing this unfortunate outcome."
"But now... time is against us, Kevin. Only by bringing back the Herrscher of Fire's power can we possibly annihilate the 10th Herrscher."
"And I've been wanting to tell you something... This is the moment."
"No... The Key of Blankness puts great strain on its wielder, so you mustn't use it again."
"Exterminating them... has been my mission from the beginning."
"Kevin."
"You're a soldier."
"..."
"Of course, if you only had to protect me, I have no doubts that you're capable of it."
"But if we don't take this chance to wipe them out... we'll never get a second chance."
"If you don't want this to happen again... take whatever happens next to heart, Kevin."
...
...
...
By the time the auxiliary troops arrived to mop up the battlefield, Kevin's eyes still had a red tinge of fire. Words paled in comparison to the splendor of what he had just witnessed.
"Is this what you wanted to tell me, MEI?"
"Yes, Kevin."
"If... someone like me can do it... you surely can as well..."
"No... you'll do better, and far surpass... the limits of the Key of Blankness."
"But... to do it... you must know... what you're fighting for."
"Which is... something greater... than yourself."
The Visit[ | ]
- Last updated: 2022-04-23
- Requirement: This Flame-Chaser's Remembrance Vessel reaches Lv. 5
"Elysia?"
"Uh-huh, you better stay in bed, Kevin. You're in a hospital for a reason."
"Oof... how did a veteran like you get hurt this bad?"
"..."
"What do you want now?"
"Listen to yourself... Can't I come here just to visit an injured old friend? I even brought you a fruit basket!"
"Besides, this old friend of mine might need something from me."
"..."
"Kevin, I heard... that pink-haired killer, her weapon... was it that blade?"
"It belongs to The MOTHs... That killer shouldn't have had any means to get her hands on it... right?"
"..."
"You must be thinking the same thing as me — it was obviously an inside job."
"I just don't understand, Kevin... what kind of character did you mess with to have such a terrifying killer come at you?"
"..."
"Her target was MEI, not me."
"Huh... that explains why you were boating in the lake in the middle of the night... You don't look like someone who would have such a hobby, but it makes sense if it was a date."
"..."
"Well... though it may not be obvious, you must know that those projects proposed by MEI are not approved of by everyone, and some would even be strongly against them... both in the light and in the dark."
"But I'm curious — what made them decide to take action so soon? Is it the upcoming Divine Key project? Or the previous ones that were suspended?"
"..."
"Forget it. If you knew, you wouldn't be lying here."
"Well... I got the info I needed. I'll leave you alone for now. Take care~ I'll come visit you again another day~"
"Wait, Elysia."
"Hmm? What's wrong? I didn't know anything about the fact that you guys secretly sheltered that killer."
"As for who sent her... I have no clue either, I swear."
"..."
"I was just trying to say..."
"Elysia, since you've already finished that fruit basket all by yourself ... can you please take the peels and cores with you?"
The Blind Spot[ | ]
- Last updated: 2022-05-07
- Requirement: This Flame-Chaser's Remembrance Vessel reaches Lv. 6
They saved the ninth chair for Kevin - which was the last chair.
But instead of taking the seat, Kevin walked past it and stopped behind Mel's chair.
"I will not stand against her in any way. You can save that chair for another recruit."
Those present were suffused with a pale light. Many were absent... Elysia, Hua, Kalpas.
Though they seldom coordinated their actions, it was the first time that several members did not attend a high-level meeting.
Those who came each had their own reasons, but chose to remain silent unanimously.
They were all aware that an invisible crack was eating away at the organization.
After a terribly long while, a thick sneer broke the silence.
"See? I warned you about this."
"A discussion that is bound to be fruitless... What a waste of time."
"Dr. Mobius, please don't say that."
"Now that everyone's here, let's settle down and let Dr. MEI explain why she summoned us."
The woman put down her glass and clapped her hands together, as if she were about to give an order.
Everyone cast their gaze upon the chair in front of Kevin.
The woman sitting on it looked so weary and frail - anyone on the scene could destroy her with ease.
Yet her eyes that shone like the stars always struck inexplicable fear into the others. Those who met her gaze could not fight the urge to look away.
"I do not have much time left... so I will get to the point."
"From a name on paper to the last hope for defending the world, the MOTHs... To be honest, I did not see this day coming when I joined the organization."
"I cannot qualify to be a MANTIS, nor will I live long enough to rectify my mistakes."
"Before we can exterminate Honkai... I will most likely be defeated by the limitations of a human lifespan."
"Therefore, there are matters I must entrust to you."
"I wish to hear only the truth today."
"Everyone, please recall..."
"How did you meet Elysia?"
Cast in Gold[ | ]
- Last updated: 2022-05-07
- Requirement: This Flame-Chaser's Remembrance Vessel reaches Lv. 7
In the depths.
The chill in the air surrounding the man befitted the darkness.
It was how this place usually struck its visitors - dark, cold...
Desolate.
"You've locked yourself down here again, Aponia."
"Kevin?"
"I didn't expect to see you here."
"No, you deserve to be here more than I do... Who should atone for the Tragedy of the Binding if not you?"
"My time to do so has not come."
"And you're the only one who'd willingly come here. Go, for the restraints you imposed on Kalpas have been lifted. Only you can subdue him again."
"Lying is a sin, Kevin."
"Aponia, you're not the only psychic MANTIS who survived."
"As for who lifted the restraints... it was Su. He did it unintentionally in the Tragedy of the Binding."
"Su... I remember him. He's developing at an incredible rate."
"But I can't comply with your request, Kevin."
"The enemies we face now are of a different breed. The restraints are a bridle, a prohibition... it's time we set the beast free again to hunt down new sacrifices for the god."
"And Kevin... haven't you realized? You already pose a far greater threat to humans than Kalpas."
"A vicious beast and a butcher with a cleaver... The latter is clearly more terrifying."
"You can believe whatever you want. I didn't come to squabble."
"But you didn't come for Kalpas either, Kevin."
"Lying is a sin."
"..."
"The proposal, the Elysian Realm... we've tested it. The conclusion... it's impossible without you."
"Only if you and Su work together can we possibly reach our ultimate goal.
"..."
"... Could the god have sent another servant so soon? Why are we rushing to implement a plan that should only be used as a last resort?"
"..."
"During the time you locked yourself here, Aponia..."
"Humans have lost all cities but three."
"..."
"I didn't come today..."
The blade cut through the chains. A flame arose, flickering in the stifling darkness.
"... to discuss strategy with you."
"The chains and the darkness will cease to exist following today."
"Aponia, revert to who you once were."
A Metamorphosis[ | ]
- Last updated: 2022-05-07
- Requirement: This Flame-Chaser's Remembrance Vessel reaches Lv. 8
"Look who we have here... Kevin? I assume this is your first visit."
The girl put down a test tube and turned to face the uninvited guest.
"Tell me, busybody, what brings you here today?"
The frigid air drew closer. The man took two steps forward without answering, as usual.
"Hey, that's close enough! Stand there and don't come any closer."
"These sophisticated instruments can't withstand your body temperature... Just talk to me from there."
"..."
"I read the accident report, Mobius."
"I'm like the cover girl of accident reports. Be specific."
"... Serpent."
"..."
"You've been hiding things... about MANTIS."
"And if I guessed correctly... that day MEI asked me to leave you two alone in the interrogation room... was to discuss such matters."
"Wow... I didn't know you were interested in these matters."
The girl narrowed her eyes and eyed the man before her like she would a research specimen.
"You're already the pinnacle of the human life form, Kevin... How can you be hungry for more power?"
"And since you've guessed correctly, why didn't you go see MEI directly? Don't you consider her some kind of omniscient being?"
"I don't want to burden MEI with more troubles."
"Though I wasn't there, judging by Hua and Su's reaction in the report... I think it'd be best for MEI to step back from this indefinitely."
"Even the mention of her name smartens you up."
"But... is this really necessary for you?"
"It might come in handy one day. Better safe than sorry."
"..."
"Fine. If this is what you want... then come with me."
"To be honest, I'm quite curious about... whether the strongest human can be made even stronger."
"Almost forgot, the locker on your left contains an insulated hazmat suit. Don't enter unless you're wearing one your size."
...
...
...
The preparations were almost complete.
The girl studied the man lying on the operating table and frowned.
"Say, Kevin... Does this remind you of the time you first became a MANTIS?"
"I remember I was watching you by the operating table just like now. Oh, MEI was there as well... She was even more nervous than you."
"I don't recall the past."
"Well, of course you don't. You've been living in the past, so there's no point in recalling it."
"..."
"Fine, fine. Let us begin, Kevin."
"This may take a long time... A pity that anesthetic hardly works on you anymore. You must bear the pain using sheer willpower."
"But I promise it'll be worth it. After enduring all the pain and suffering, I assure you that like me, you'll feel..."
"reborn."
Counterattack[ | ]
- Last updated: 2022-05-07
- Requirement: This Flame-Chaser's Remembrance Vessel reaches Lv. 9
- Is anyone still standing?
The man walking fast in the passage had to doubt that.
He had covered quite a distance, but everyone he saw was in a deep slumber.
Lying on the ground in varying positions, they were all murmuring dream words that cannot be comprehended.
"Ah, that's why I always say you're now the least romantic man on earth, Kevin."
"Roaming through one dream after another. How wonderful and romantics"
- At a future date, one of his partners commented such on this experience.
But he himself never view the situation in such a romantic light.
Those who had fallen were drowned in an everlasting false dream that led them to death.
And those who were sober fell victim to another endless nightmare.
He fastened his steps.
His heart had always remain strong and resolute, but not this moment.
"MEI..."
He shouldn't have been so worried, as she was guarded by his most trusted comrade.
But the enemy they were faced with can never be hurt by any blade.
...
...
...
"Hi, Kevin."
A familiar voice dragged him back to reality. At the end the corridor, the pink-haired girl was leaning against the wall.
"You're finally back."
"Elysia? Why are you here?"
"How is MEI?"
"Relax, she's safe in the lab."
"But I can't say the same for Sakura."
"Did she fall for the 8th Herrscher's trick?"
"Yeah, fortunately, she only fell asleep."
"Good thing I arrived on time, or..."
"Or what?"
"Anyway, I've taken care of things on this side. Sakura and MEI are both fine."
"But Kevin, how are things looking on your side?"
"I've always felt you're the one who'd be most likely trapped in dreams."
"..."
He fell silent. He thought the same about himself.
That's why he returned in a hurry after such a short departure.
He had obtained the Discipline to resist the corruption and put on shackles that could free him of the nightmares.
He had become different.
"Maybe, Elysia."
"But the 8th Herrscher's mental tricks won't work on me anymore."
"Time to strike back."
"Ah, Kevin, you know what, that's the most unbearable thing about you."
"You don't have to carry everything on your shoulders, really. Even if you don't trust Mobius, you can at least try to put a bit more faith in your old pal."
"Su?"
"The counterattack has started long ago."
In the Past[ | ]
- Last updated: 2022-05-07
- Requirement: This Flame-Chaser's Remembrance Vessel reaches Lv. 10
The two of them stood side by side on the silent street.
Three days ago, it was still the most bustling shopping area in the region.
Day and night, thousands of people would linger here enjoying the urban vibe and shopping to their heart's content.
But now, it was too quiet that even the wind seemed noisy.
*Thump*
The man's fist landed on a signboard and left a deep dent.
"..."
"Don't do this, Kevin."
"Elysia, they're dead."
"Look around. These people died and even their bodies are gone..."
"This is... all my fault..."
"Uh... Kevin, you misunderstood."
"I just wanted to remind you you'd have to pay for the damage."
"..."
"And don't say that."
"It's as much your fault as mine."
"..."
"No one could have known... the 6th Herrscher still had human emotions."
"But these people... what did they do to deserve this?"
"They never knew their lives would end this way... because of what I did..."
"It was my hesitation that killed them... Me..."
"But it was also you who killed the Herrscher and ended it."
"..."
"Kevin, it's alright... It would have ended the same way if I was put in your shoes."
"I would have had the same doubt and hesitated..."
"I would have made the same choice."
"...It changes nothing."
"Kevin, the loss of these lives is a responsibility shared by you, me, and the others."
"I don't want you to forget it. On the contrary, I want you to remember it, remember this moment, along with your hesitation and weakness."
"... That's you, Kevin."
"If one day, you'd sacrifice the minority for the majority, or the other way around..."
"You won't be the Kevin I've always known."
"..."
"Sacrifice is... sacrifice, something we need to carry on our shoulders... but no more."
"So, Kevin... I hope we can remember this day forever. The weakness. The nameless location."
"It's the only thing that can remind us of what we're fighting for."
"Elysia... if you're to choose..."
"Would you choose the majority or the minority?"
"..."
"Me?"
Elysia smiled and walked ahead of Kevin, leaving him only her back.
"Kevin, you should know there's a difference between minority and minority."
"In everyone's heart, there has to be a minority that's more important than the majority, or even all of it."
"So... my answer is probably the same as the one you'd give me right now."
She turned around to face Kevin and lifted his hand to put it against her forehead.
"If one day, you can simply pull the trigger like this to save the majority..."
"What would you do?"
Wish[ | ]
- Last updated: 2022-05-17
- Requirement: This Flame-Chaser's Remembrance Vessel reaches Lv. 11
"So cold!"
The pink-haired girl pushed the white-haired man's shoulders to walk along the corridor.
"...Elysia, I don't think it's necessary."
"Ah, don't say no! Don't say anything! Just keep going!"
The man seemed confused, but the willful girl didn't give him a choice.
"We have more important things to do, Elysia."
"Huh? Isn't my party important?"
"..."
"New threats may come up at any time, and we have no idea of how the next Herrscher would surprise us..."
"Alright, alright! The 7th eruption is just over. Can't you cut yourself some slack? Why do you have to push yourself so hard?"
"Ah, Kevin, you're growing more and more like MEI... and I bet you'd be glad to hear that."
"But..."
"Come on, there's no but! Alright, here we are!"
She pushed Kevin to a door, which was not locked, and nor was it lit inside.
He had to do what the girl told him.
Finally, he made up his mind and pushed the door open...
"Happy Birthday, Kevin!"
"He was taken aback by the sudden light and voices and nearly ram into someone hiding behind the door."
"Kevin, watch out!"
The girl behind the door cried out and the cake in her hands almost fell to the floor.
"...MEI?"
The girl wearing glasses tilted her head and smile [sic] gently.
Elysia draped a woolen rug over her shoulders, and the other people in the room came near to welcome the birthday boy.
Kevin blinked and blinked. He knew everyone in the room.
But they all seemed different today.
The first one that caught his attention was the girl with fox ears who wore a gown, a huge contrast with her assassin look.
She noticed Kevin's attention and returned an innocent, carefree smile.
The little girl by her side was using the power of psychokinesis as usual to send the cake and eight gifts to the table.
An odd green box stood out in the mix as a representation of the blessings from someone who couldn't show up.
The [sic] followed funny music. The boy who received four harsh lectures from Kevin and burst into tears on his first day in the group - he was playing the harmonica clumsily and trying to find the tune.
But very soon, something else drowned the harmonica sound entirely. A sublime hymn began to echo in Kevin's head. He didn't expect her to show up, and in such a way.
And the man who never had a moment's hesitation on the battlefield - he was staring at the cake with a frown and seemed to have a problem with how the candles were arranged.
This day, the future leader of the MOTHs and the first seven MANTIS soldiers...
Were gathered here for an insignificant reason.
"I'm turning off the light."
With Elysia's joyful voice, the light went out. In the dark, the candle flames were blinking and dancing.
"Time to blow the candles, Kevin! Don't forget to make a wish!"
"No matter what it is, it will come true! I'll make it so♪"
"Elysia, that was supposed to come from MEI."
"Huh? Is it so on the script I wrote, Sakura?"
"Haha... Elysia, I bet you didn't even remember your own script."
"I... I wrote it myself. No way I could make a mistake! It must be you have the pre-revision version instead of the final version!"
Kevin shook his head and laughed.
The twinkling candles lit up his cold body and took him back to the distant past when he laughed like this for the last time.
And then, in the pleasant vibe, he bent down and blew all the candles off.
...
...
...
Light went out, and so did the noises. There seemed to be delicate coordination.
Darkness engulfed the world and the light was never turned on again.
Gradually, his eyes became accustomed to the darkness.
He saw the transparent glass panel of the hibernation pod and heard the humming of machines.
There was nothing else left.
"..."
The pod went down and into the embrace of darkness and silence.
Only a lonely dot of light took his last dream and everyone in the dream far far away.
MEI.
Sakura.
Dystopia.
Mobius.
Kosma.
Aponia.
Ato.
And... Elysia.
The light went out.
Along with all the names.
And the wish he made.
Pristine Memory[ | ]
The Hand that Rearranged the Stars[ | ]
- Last updated: 2022-05-17
- Requirement: This Flame-Chaser's Remembrance Vessel reaches Lv.
"Then... we'll rank Su seventh? Any objections?"
"..."
"Kevin, I need your input. Are you still upset about what happened? It's alright, I've put it behind me. You're right about letting the past go. That's why I'm preparing for the future."
"Nothing to say about the rank of your old friend? Go ahead, speak your mind."
"Elysia, I don't know what you want."
They were standing in a lab flooded with light blue data projections. Elysia had been toying with them.
In the sea of data projections, an area had been neatly arranged by her. Her fingertip was poised over a name in hesitation.
"Hmm? Kevin, you're acting as though you've figured it out. If not, I hope you're at least aware of what needs to be done."
"We'll be separated soon. As sad as that may be, this is also an opportunity for us to gain the initiative on certain pivotal decisions."
"What I'm planning... is a band of heroes and the last defense of humanity. What do you of calling it 'The Thirteen Flame-Chasers'?"
"I need you to answer the next question. I'm not sure about the ranking of Mobius."
"I see the necessity, but... you know what the upper echelons think. We can't do this on our own."
"We can't? Kevin, I'm not happy to hear you say that. When it comes to working with people, I can always get it done."
"All we need... is a good beginning. Just a spark to help us turn around. Yes... just like this."
The poised fingertip resumed its motion. It pushed the name Mobius into the space belonging to the tenth member.
Orientation for Newbies[ | ]
- Last updated: 2022-05-17
- Requirement: This Flame-Chaser's Remembrance Vessel reaches Lv.
"Would you like some? I can't finish it all by myself."
Elysia put down the strange spoon in her hand and nudged the dessert plate towards the other girl.
"It's made from the fruit of a tree that used to be common in the Mu continent, and you can taste that it has three distinct flavors."
"However, there is only one of those trees left now, conserved in the Golden Courtyard. It will take a year for it to bear fruit again."
The young team member shook her head softly.
"Your name is Hua, right? From today on, you'll become one of us. The team leader is out of town, so I'm here to welcome you on his behalf."
"Ah... I forgot to introduce myself. Sorry, I'm not used to such formal occasions. My name is Elysia. I guess you can say I'm the second in command of this unit. You can call me Ellie — which is what everyone here likes to call me."
"...Delighted to make you acquaintance, Miss Elysia."
"Aw, you don't have to be so uptight. You're even making me a bit nervous. What year were you born?"
Hua murmured a number.
"I knew it, we're about the same age. You can be less formal."
"I don't know what kind of unit you were in before, but in here, we don't believe in the hierarchical stuff. We can even make fun of the team leader — for example, gossiping about him and the girl he likes."
"So chill out~ You're so pretty, you must have a lot of friends. And in here, you'll make more friends. The people here are all sweet in their own ways, you'll get along with them."
"Ah, sorry, I've been rambling. Why don't you tell me more about yourself. Here, I'll hand the 'mic' to you~"
"No, that was a great speech."
"It's just that... this 'newbie orientation' turned out to be quite different than what I imagined."
"Huh, so what did you expect it to be like? Ooh, let me guess —"
"You're the first person to successfully awaken the ICHOR through the Meta-Morph preparation, and therefore are the brightest rising star within the organization."
"Everyone has high hopes for you, and of course will constantly and repeatedly impart to you the significance of the MANTIS, the ambition of The MOTHs, the future of humanity, our beliefs... and our mission."
"But I won't talk about any of that with you."
The gelatinous blue dessert jiggled in the plate, rippling with a shiny luster.
"It's boring to repeat what others have said, isn't it?"
"So today, let's skip the serious conversation. We'll just have some girls' talk. This is what this unit is like, you'll get used to it quick."
"First, um... right, let's talk about clothes and makeup."
"Clothes and makeup?"
"Did you forget? Next month is The MOTHs' traditional ball."
"The MANTIS don't attend the base's ball, we have our own. It'll be classy in a different way, as ours is more exclusive. You won't be disappointed. Don't forget to dress up~ You'll make new friends there~"
"This will be your first task after joining the team. Hua, please take it seriously because... I'll be the one that appraises your performance~♪"
Exorcism[ | ]
- Last updated: 2022-05-17
- Requirement: This Flame-Chaser's Remembrance Vessel reaches Lv.
#Visitor: Elysia. Identity verified.#
#Level 3 security door opened.#
"Phew. It isn't easy to see you. You poor thing."
"You have no idea how many sentries they assigned to this place. This is literally a prison... Maybe you should try breaking out sometime?"
"That'd be easy but pointless."
"You're Kalpas, right? You look like a friend of mine, only wilder and more... unruly. Could you two possibly be related? Could you take off the mask and let me see your face?"
"..."
"Chill! I was joking. You... are too withdrawn to crack, even for me. Anyways, let's talk about something fun! Tell me what illusions the 8th Herrscher painted for you in your dreams."
"...Ashes."
"Oookay. Sounds like you don't want to talk about this either. Let's get back to business."
"Do you know whom you left a wound on? A being that has crossed the Styx and cannot be measured by human scale... To the masses, calling her a god is no exaggeration."
"God? Haha... hahaha..."
"You finally laughed, which is a good start. Then let us get right to it, Kalpas."
"Nobody except me can get you out of here, which is... exactly what I'm going to do."
"You don't deserve to be jailed here and rot with these dark secrets. If you were to die... you'll die fighting Honkai, am I right?"
"Speak the truth."
"Do I sound like I'm lying? Or still too oblique to you? Well... allow me to rephrase it then."
"I want you to become a K.O. threat, a chess move that will one day keep the game in check. And that day... will arrive soon."
"A pawn of MOTHs?"
"Nope~♪"
Their exchange ended.
He waited for her to explain, but she did not speak again.
A deep voice finally began to slither in the darkness.
"..."
"...At what cost?"
"I will give you an endless war."
Asura[ | ]
- Last updated: 2022-05-17
- Requirement: This Flame-Chaser's Remembrance Vessel reaches Lv.
"Hmm~ It's really strong and destructive, I've never seen a Honkai Beast like this one before. It's only Emperor-class? Does it have a name?"
"Asura."
"Did you name it that? That's surprising, I thought you'd call it something like 'Fanged Destroyer'."
"...It told me its name."
"Huh? I did know you could talk to Honkai Beasts... How come you never mentioned that to me? Huh, you have your own little secrets now, don't you?"
"..."
"I don't have that kind of ability. It was making 'humanlike' noises when Sakura found it."
"Oh, so when the two of you went to Sakura's hometown, it was just to bring this beast back? I see, I was wondering what kind of mission could've made you two work together again."
"We didn't together, Sakura slew it alone. I only... witnessed its pitiful demise."
"Whatever. But... Kalpas, I'm a little worried. You're going to use its genes for the fusion?"
"You don't think I'll be able to handle it?"
"Of course you can. I'm just a little curious."
"Of all the MANTIS, I'm the only one with the genes of a Vipralopa-class Honkai Beast...'Maheśvara' and 'Asura', which one is stronger? Don't you think it sounds like a final showdown from a comic book?"
"Oops, I said too much, didn't I? Go find Mobius. If you become a stronger MANTIS than me, please don't come after me~"
"Elysia... I've said this a long time ago — after all is doomed, you will be slaughtered by me as well."
"Jeez, that's scary. Do you really have the hear to kill me? Look at my face, stare at it for a little longer, maybe you will change your mind."
An Old Friend[ | ]
- Last updated: 2022-05-17
- Requirement: This Flame-Chaser's Remembrance Vessel reaches Lv.
The bright moon hung high.
Elysia stepped gently onto the spire overlooking the base. The violet flowers dancing between her fingers glimmered in the moonlight.
She did not let the Honkai energy stored in the flowers escape, even though its lavender glow would have looked beautiful in the darkness.
"Hi, Eden."
"Hi, Ellie."
Even now the woman still held a golden cup - whether it was for enjoying fine wine as usual or reminiscing about the past was a mystery.
"The meeting held by Dr. MEI is over?"
"Yes, they didn't find any anomalies. You've been cleared of suspicion."
"Happy to hear that. I don't really mind, though. Tensions are high in these extraordinary times, and my past is indeed quite mysterious."
"An understanding and generous person such as I would forgive everyone, of course."
"Nevertheless... I'm a little curious about whether Kevin spoke up for me."
"He didn't say anything throughout the meeting, so there's no way of knowing where he stands."
"That's alright, I was expecting that. He still is, and will always be, a shy boy."
"What about you, Eden?"
"Ellie, you know my way of remembering is different."
"Of course, I can tell that from the sims you left behind in the realm."
"Hence I know that you never betrayed anyone."
"The things I stand for have gone forever with the old era. I will no longer take sides."
"Thank you, Eden."
She extended her hand and offered the pristine crystalline flowers to the far reaches of the night.
"I feel... I haven't seen a night this beautiful in ages."
"Did you bring wine, Eden? Let's have a drink, shall we?"
From the Beginning[ | ]
- Last updated: 2022-05-17
- Requirement: This Flame-Chaser's Remembrance Vessel reaches Lv. 6
"..."
"Taking back my badge? Why?"
Asked the woman addressed as "Doctor".
She was standing before a restraint chair with her long, light green hair casually tied at the back.
In the restraint chair was a MOTHs soldier.
He looked pale and not well - many patients like this one were admitted here recently.
"Doctor" was about to find their common traits, and it displeased her to be interrupted by such a trivial matter.
"Besides, do you have to wear a gas mask? Which division are you from? You a rookie?"
Behind her, the uninvited staff member was fully protected without an inch of skin exposed.
It looked funny, but anyone who had paid a visit here knew stepping into the lab alone took huge courage.
"Hmm... there's been a change to the badge policy and all numbered badges need to be recycled. From now on, the badges won't carry any numbers."
"As for the mask... safety goes first, doctor."
"..."
"Doctor" sized up the stranger but couldn't tell anything wrong.
"Fine."
She didn't ask more questions.
She walked to her desk and searched through one drawer after another for the badge.
After 19 disciplinary notices, she finally got to the badge with the number one on the back and handed it over.
"Thanks for your cooperation, Dr. Mobius."
"The new badge will arrive within a week."
"...Wait."
Before the staff member turned around, the "Doctor" stopped her.
"Don't take me for a fool."
"Uh... I'm not sure what you mean."
"I know you all try to keep things from me. You come up with all the excuses in the world to keep me in the lab..."
"But I don't have to necessarily see something to know it."
"..."
"The 2nd Honkai Eruption... how is it now?"
"..."
"Oh, so you meant to ask about this. Hmm, things are not looking good, but it's only temporary."
"Huh?"
"As far as I know, and adorable and powerful girl had just joined the MOTHs as a fighter."
"And I believe she'll be the key to solving the crisis."
"Where is she now?"
"Ah, I have to think about this. She is... applying for her own badge right now. Yes, a unique badge. After all, she has to dress up for her debut mission."
"Don't worry, she'll be at the front line in no time."
"I promise♪"
Miss Pink Spy[ | ]
- Last updated: 2022-05-17
- Requirement: This Flame-Chaser's Remembrance Vessel reaches Lv. 7
"Dr. Mobius wants a self-portrayal of me as a gift?"
"And now? But isn't she in a seminar?"
"Beats me. It's Mobius after all♪"
"Only a handful can understand her wild ideas, right?"
"Hmm... but..."
"Fine, I'll go now."
After a moment of hesitation, Klein dropped the report and left the lab.
Mobius had throw no small number of such strange requests at her and she had gotten used to it.
Only this time...
"Hehe, I'm sure sweet Mobius will love this present."
Left alone in the lab, the girl walked to Mobius's lab workstation.
"After all, it's a lie with good will to bring them closer together."
"Alright, now is the time to satisfy my burning curiosity."
Elysia tapped at the bench with her fingers and looked to the password box on the screen.
"Let me guess, sweet Mobius... what your password is."
"Hmm... I'll try 'Elysia' first. Wrong? That broke my heart!"
"Alright, maybe 'Mobius'? Wrong again? No way..."
"What about 'Klein'? Still no? Uh... it can't be 'MEI', can it?"
"Ah, great... it's not..."
She pursed her lips and sent herself rotating in Mobius's chair.
She then noticed the eccentric colored painting on the ceiling - clearly a personal preference of the lab owner.
The generous cyan color reminded her of roaring waves on a violent sea, and the large and small black dots were fish roaming within.
Her eyes moved to the walls, where all sorts of plant and animal samples were hung. Some she had seen, and some she had not.
Something seemed to come to her mind. A rough idea was formed in her head.
"From the sea to the land and from cells to life... Mobius..."
She knew what the password was.
"Password Confirmed"
"Ah, I'm so smart!" Her voice was filled with joy. "I love everyone, and of course we know how each other thinks."
"Hmm... let me see, search record... Oh, found it."
Her big eyes reflected the large paragraphs on the screen.
She touched her chin and her smile became mysterious.
"Ah, sweet Mobius, of course you're investigating me."
"'Enthusiastic to everyone. Purpose unknown. Caution required...' Huh? How can you say that? I'm always sincere."
"'Lost to Kevin, but from her later performances, she seem to be holding herself back...' Oh, no, I'm not. I'm no match for Kevin really, at least for now."
"'Adjusts her leg ring position based on the day of the week...' Whoa, I'm so glad she noticed this."
"'Changes her hairstyle slightly every day, possibly based on her mood...' He-he, you got it wrong. It actually changes according to the weather of the day! I'll put a note here."
"'Talks in a seductive way. Can be taken for reference.' Hmm... maybe this is why more people are willing to take her experiments recently? Should I ask you for tuition frees? Uh, never mind, you're my bestie after all."
"'Claimed to have taken the Meta-Morph surgery after Kevin and before me. I have memories to support this, but no relevant details can be found in the records. Suspicion remains...'"
"..."
"..."
"..."
"What's this? Looks different from any other file. Whoa... it's really something..."
Before she could turn to the second page, she was interrupted by a familiar cough sound.
She looked to the door wearing her iconic naughty smile.
"Hi, sweet Mobius, you're back."
"I happen to have a question for you."
"About something called Project Stigma..."
Players on Stage[ | ]
- Last updated: 2022-05-17
- Requirement: This Flame-Chaser's Remembrance Vessel reaches Lv. 8
"But Elysia, I just checked your body fat level and it's higher than the last time, so..."
"Alright, alright... why do you have to check this? MEI didn't leave you here for that."
"What matters is how you feel rather than the number. You get it?"
"..."
"Fine, it might be hard for you."
"But one day you'll understand, Prometheus."
"Understand what?"
"Understand why people laugh and why they cry..."
"If you wish to look into the root cause of human emotions, I can help with that."
"..."
"Don't bother, I just came to talk to you."
"Everyone is at MEI's meeting, and I'm left alone here."
"You're experiencing emotional spikes, Elysia."
"Hey, didn't MEI tell you not to read someone else's biometrics without permission? I'm blushing now."
"But emotional spikes...? Maybe a little bit."
"Suspected by good friends and being distanced... anyone would be upset, right?"
"Actually, I just want someone to talk to."
"..."
"Ah, I never thought I'd be hopelessly watching the chasm grow one day."
"Prometheus, you know it better than me, right?"
"We can't afford another civil war right now."
"No matter the reason, no matter how it goes, there can only be one outcome."
"Humanity's self-destruction."
"Ah, right."
"But people of our age have been fighting Honkai for too long... they deserve a better ending, right?"
"..."
"Prometheus, in your eyes and from a probability standpoint, how can humanity be united again?"
"..."
"The emergence of a more terrible enemy than Herrschers, or a more severe threat."
"Ah, great minds think alike. We're thinking the same thing, Prometheus."
"An enemy that can force the survivors to set aside their differences and unite together... this is indeed the most effective way."
"But also the hardest."
"No one can tell for sure if it brings unity or speedier extinction for humanity."
"..."
"Ah, I'd hate to see the world plunge into hell again, but it really comes to that..."
She took out a pink crystal flower and twisted it between her fingers.
"It's not bad for the leading actress to play a charming villain for a change♪"
Invader[ | ]
- Last updated: 2022-05-17
- Requirement: This Flame-Chaser's Remembrance Vessel reaches Lv. 9
"Success."
The girl took one last look at the screen, and the thumb-sized, miniature, self-propelled robot began remotely transmitting video back to her terminal. Inside, a door slowly began to open.
She made the room's lights brighter, turned her eyes to hands, and quickly looked away—nail-biting was a bad habit, and she was determined to break it.
The door on the screen was now completely opened.
She turned her head, feeling a bit confused.
This place that ever she had spent a lot of time breaking into was an area that everyone had kept secret...
"... Only that green-haired lady's here?"
So... What exactly is Honkai? The organization she had been spying on did everything they could to cover up the series of disasters... What was it all about?
The girl has the tiny robot fly off the wall and slowly approach the only human in the are in an attempt to capture the other party's chatter more clearly.
"... Finally got it, you guys are... the first..."
It's unclear.
The girl remembered the noise the micro-robot makes when it flies and carefully kept it close to its target...
"Oh, you're really something. You've already gotten this deep in your investigation♪"
"Have I been discovered?!"
She jerked her hand back, causing the robot to lose control and fall from the green-haired woman's collar.
"No, this voice is clearly..."
At the same moment the girl reacted, she felt someone's tender body lean against her back.
"... It clearly came from right next to me."
The girl lowered her head and let the other person put her jaw on her shoulder—before things became irreparable, there was still a chance to come up with a plan.
"Wow—this is the first time even I have seen this. You must really have some guts... so you're the one who's been investigating The MOTHs, then. Vill-V, right? What a cute name. Very fitting."
The girl felt her ears begin to itch from the heat emanating as the other person spoke.
"Yes, I saw the message you sent from yesterday. It took me all day to find you... From what was just said, it seems I've done it."
"Oh, and your earrings are very pretty. Can you tell me where you got them?"
"—Hey, don't sweat it. You've got plenty of time to figure out what to do with me. Until then, let's just chit-chat♪"
Maheśvara[ | ]
- Last updated: 2022-05-17
- Requirement: This Flame-Chaser's Remembrance Vessel reaches Lv. 10
"Mobius, I didn't expect you to invite me to visit your laboratory. I'm so pleasantly surprised."
"Visit? I'd rather have you on the operating table instead of standing there."
"Tell me how you really feel." Elysia's gaze rose slightly, taking in the laboratory, and then finally fell back on the girl whose height didn't even come up to her shoulders.
"This brings back memories... I recall something similar happening a long time ago.
"Only this time, no matter how much you tiptoe, you won't get by me."
"... How boring."
"Let's get down to business. I want to show you something."
Mobius tapped a few keys and the electronic screen covering the laboratory's slowly began to retract, revealing the operating table beneath.
On top lay a corpse.
"Yeah, Mobius, your interests are really something... it kind of scares me."
"A poor fellow whose operation had failed."
"His fusion factor is the Maheśvara, just like you."
The girl looked slightly apologetic.
"... That's quite a pity. I thought you guys would have given up on the Maheśvara factor a long time ago. After all, there's only one case of someone achieving success... so far."
"Yes, the Vipralopa-class is not so easy to control. Look at him, his body looks like that now. Even if he is lucky enough to be brought back, would he even still be human?"
"So, Elysia... I have a new question."
Mobius stared at the girl in front of her, and the emerald green snake eyes revealed a dense, cold light.
"For you... it seems there aren't any side effects."
Prophesy[ | ]
- Last updated: 2022-05-17
- Requirement: This Flame-Chaser's Remembrance Vessel reaches Lv. 11
"Having said that, Kalpas seems to be in quite a bit of trouble this time..."
In the lobby, the two Flame-Chasers walked side by side.
"He must have come to you too, Aponia. Did something happen?"
"..."
"... Oh no. It seems quite a lot has happened. If you don't want to talk about it... we can change the subject."
"I've been having a bad premonition, like a strange feeling in the air... It's beginning to creep upon us."
"Elysia, the trust you want to believe in... it doesn't exist."
"Even if you gather us all up and do what you can to keep this group together... it will fall apart one day, just as it is now."
"There is no possibility of us starting from scratch."
"Well, that's pretty harsh. Is this also something you see?"
"Well, I saw a desert."
"The end is approaching, all human efforts will be in vain, and even the paradise left behind by you and me... will collapse in the distant future and cease to exist."
"..."
The girl was silent for a rare moment.
Once, in the hall, she proudly announced that the Thirteen Flame-Chasers had formed.
But the Herrscher who followed, prematurely added the initial crack to this round table and brought about its disintegration.
After a long time, she opened her mouth.
There was no surprise or fear in her face, only her usual, sly smile.
"Prophecy... such as interesting thing. I should give it a try."
"...?"
"But I don't have the special abilities you have. I can only see some things that are close at hand, such as..."
"■■■■■■■■"
...
Ten days later, the eleventh day of the meeting that Mobius had initiated was at hand.
The lobby was still empty and deserted.
The difference is that this time, only Aponia was left in the room.
She recalled the conversation that took place here. At that time, her tone was lively and light, as if she were merely discussing breakfast for tomorrow.
She has always been so lively and brisk, even as she looked back at her homeland for the last time.
"Elysia..."
Aponia walked out of the lobby and looked up at the sky.
There used to be countless glowing filaments. It was the strings of fate that only she could see.
And now, those strings were disappearing into nothingness, little by little.
It was as though a pair of hands were lining up the star, erasing the originally delineated future, one by one.
Ascetic's Memory[ | ]
Return to Dust[ | ]
- Last updated: 2022-05-18
- Requirement: This Flame-Chaser's Remembrance Vessel reaches Lv. 2
"...I don't get it."
"The MOTHs entrusted it with you; they must have their reasons. No matter what happens, Hua, you are the only one who has the 8th Divine Key."
"Take it. Vill-V has to finish everything sooner or later. Until then, it won't lose any power—unless, I guess, it's completely used up— thanks to my reprimand. [sic]
"Reprimand? But it's not..."
"Mhm... it's just wishful thinking."
"You'll understand everything when the time comes."
"..."
"Aponia, forgive me for speaking out, but... why?"
"Today's the first time we've ever talked like this."
"Really... what if I told you that I knew about this encounter ages ago?"
"I've been waiting for this... waiting this whole time."
"You... you want to change my destiny—just like everyone else."
"Yes."
"MY fate."
Surprisingly, her tone shifted and became harsh, as though she had remembered something.
"I know that you hate this way of talking about it... so I'll give you a chance to change."
"This was never in Vill-V's plan, but... I still awakened this Herrscher's true power, and changed it from a tool to a weapon in your hands."
"There's a name that I hate... 'First-Rate Power'."
"...Huh?"
"It's just... using it comes at such a high cost. I'll give you a small demonstration before you go."
"Don't worry about me. I never wanted to remember everything we discussed today."
"Please forgive my selfishness here, but I don't care to remember trying to save people again..."
"... how useless..."
The Ordained[ | ]
- Last updated: 2022-05-18
- Requirement: This Flame-Chaser's Remembrance Vessel reaches Lv. 3
The masked man was dropping corpse after corpse right at her feet.
53... 54... that was it.
"They were all present when Rin died."
"—They all have the same discipline. Tell me, what actually happened?"
[sic]What if... you get no answer?"
He pointed to the ground.
"You'll be next."
[sic]You should know... I've never feared death. And anyway... who says you could?"
"But if you insist on me paying a price for this, I won't refuse.
\ [sic]"The discipline I gave them was simple... 'Never give up hope against Honkai'. I don't know why this would make them hate Herrschers... they're unhinged."
He laughed coldly.
"It's just like everything you do."
"..."
"Kalpas, just because I know about everything doesn't mean I can control it. I... make mistakes, too."
"Same for the discipline I gave you. 'Never harm innocents'... you've never let that get in the way of your indiscriminate murder."
"Fool..."
"Just look at yourself. Look at this world... nobody can say they are 'innocent', Aponia."
"But at least you got one thing right... even if it was unintentional, you'll pay the price for Sakura's death."
"I'm going to kill you. Right here, right now."
"But I'll make it 'fair'. I'll accept the discipline again for 'never harming innocents'..."
"And then you can answer me... with your life."
Within the Cataract[ | ]
- Last updated: 2022-05-18
- Requirement: This Flame-Chaser's Remembrance Vessel reaches Lv. 4
"... Griseo, right? That's a nice name! What are you doing staying around here?"
"..."
"It must be terrifying being abandoned in a place like this, right...?"
"Don't be afraid. Come here."
"..."
"Ah, what a shy kid... you must be hungry. Want a snack?"
"..."
"That's it. Good kid, take your time, nice and easy... here, give me your hand..."
The soft, gentle voice of a woman floated through the air, calming everyone down as if by some kind of magic.
There would be no need for a candle with her around, as she illuminates the space between herself and the little girl.
Beyond that, there is only darkness and the abyss.
Countless shadowy figures danced around the edges of the inky darkness, exuding a terrifying aura of despair—perhaps the original archetypes of despair itself.
But just then, they looked on at these encircled two with trepidation, as though they weren't merely the single glimmer of light in the deepest darkness but rather something more terrifying than darkness, death, and fear itself.
She gently wiped the cream off the girl's face and hands.
"It's definitely... crowded here. Let's go someplace quieter."
She stepped out as she spoke, and the crowd retreated in silence like the tide.
Just then, an even smaller hand held onto her.
The girl looked up and gazed upon her with pure innocence, her tender lips quivering as she uttered the first word since her exile.
"M-ma... mama."
Survey Report: Discipline[ | ]
- Last updated: 2022-05-18
- Requirement: This Flame-Chaser's Remembrance Vessel reaches Lv. 5
A crumpled-up, old research report filled with notes scribbled in various handwriting.
[Sample 1] ■■■■
■■-years old. Member of Cocoon.
Symptoms: Severe bruising of varying degrees all over body.
Impact of Disciple: Vast improvement to all cell activity; complete recovery of all wounds within 3 months.
[Sample 2] ■■■■
■■-years old. Logistics staff.
Symptoms: Broken leg.
Impact of Disciple: Fast healing at break site over 1 week.
Note: Sample refused all surgery prior to disciple. Improved healing may be connected to this.
(Note:
In a cuter handwriting: "How cryptic. How badly was he treated at Mobius?"
In a more serious handwriting: "Unfortunately, he broke his other leg a day after recovering.")
[Sample 3] ■■■■
■■-years-old. Former Deep End convict.
Symptoms: Severe claustrophobia and nyctophobia.
Impact of Discipline: Gained night-vision abilities; can perform tasks in pitch darkness using hearing and touch.
[Sample 4] ■■■■
...
Summary: Discipline can stimulate biological potential in subjects.
(This summary has been crossed out and someone writing with a more dignified hand has made a note below.)
The real power of discipline lies in impacts and catalysts that yield to the subconscious desires of the subject. Based on the Honkai Midoro's lack of similar results, the unforeseen exception found in Aponia requires further study; until then, Aponia's account of her own talents is unreliable.
"...Therefore, I'll go to the Deep End for discipline myself to verify my hypothesis."
This report was clutched in the hands of a young man, trembling with excitement.
"Why am I the only one not to get this report?"
"Silence, kid."
"Dr. Mei's always been like that. She knows what she wants—and how to get it."
"..."
"She's already gone off to the Deep End. All we can do now is wait."
"Wait and believe."
The First Discipline[ | ]
- Last updated: 2022-05-18
- Requirement: This Flame-Chaser's Remembrance Vessel reaches Lv. 6
She still remembered that moment—back when she wasn't aware of her gift.
As though a sudden revelation, an invisible hand pushed her forward, bringing her to feel the mark left by fate for all living things.
Veins made of light, like silken thread. They leave completely different marks on different people's heads. Sometimes they intersect or weave together, dispersing and stretching out unto various ends; sometimes they stop abruptly at some point imperceptible.
Under this indescribable sense of restraint, she reached out her hand to touch these surrounding threads—
...
"Is this what you saw when you first used your discipline?"
"Oh, how I would love to see the world from your eyes. It must be unforgettable, magnificent scene."
"I've never been shy about sharing things with you, Elysia, but it's not a pretty sight."
"I can't use my discipline on you, just like... I can't make your dreams come true."
"After that, I bestowed my discipline to many others, but nobody ever gained the ability to see the threads."
"Because you are truly special. I may not be able to see what you do, but I understand the feeling of being different from others. You don't have to feel alone."
"But what do these threads mean?"
[sic]... I don't know."
"These threads hanging off everyone... I can see them, but I can't touch them—and I can't change their trajectory, not even an inch."
"Then... have you tried investigating where these threads ultimately lead to?"
"They break off."
"... Break off?"
[sic]All threads break off at the edges of my vision... maybe that's the limit of my ability?"
"I see..."
The girl tilted her head, and winked at her jokingly.
"Then... do I have a thread coming out of my head? What does it look like, and where does it lead?"
But before she could answer, a slender index finger was gently placed on her lips.
"Forget about it. Don't you enjoy the suspense? I'll tell you next time we meet."
"Perhaps, then, I can tell you what these threads really are."
From the Bitter Cold[ | ]
- Last updated: 2022-05-18
- Requirement: This Flame-Chaser's Remembrance Vessel reaches Lv. 7
"That's OK. Let me talk to him, alright?"
Without even waiting for an answer, she pushed open the door and walked in.
Not even she understood when things became like this; where the absolute persuasiveness of her words came from.
But when she gained consciousness, nobody has ever rejected her.
The man who never took his mask off say beside a fire he had built, as though he didn't know how to use modern technology.
When the shelter staff first found him, his frostbite was bad enough to be lethal. But now, he'd almost recovered completely without any treatment.
"Did... you come here from someplace very cold?"
She walked over to his side without any hesitation and reached her hand into the flames.
"I just met someone who's very, very cold."
He spoke for the first time—and even she was surprised.
"Oh? So how is she now? Did she get frostbite like you?"
Seeming not to understand her words, he lowered his head, lost in thought.
"She's not alone anymore."
"Really... that's good."
She obviously misunderstood something.
"Then... do you have any other family?"
"I think so, but they're far away."
"Then... I hope they can find you soon."
He finally looked up at her. This woman was crazy!
"Just what are you trying to do?"
"I want to know if you need any help."
He nodded.
"Yes."
"Can you tell me... what people normally say when they want people they hate to go far away?"
"Um..."
"Perhaps... something like 'Please can you go away'."
[sic]That's too long, I can't remember all that."
"I see... then... well, it's rude but people often say..."
"'Get lost'?"
It was the first time he'd ever heard this phrase.
He felt invigorated and rather... proud.
"OK... Get lost."
She laughed.
A gentle laugh, without a hint of malice.
Rumors: Fright[ | ]
- Last updated: 2022-05-18
- Requirement: This Flame-Chaser's Remembrance Vessel reaches Lv. 8
"About Aponia? Just remember one thing: she's dangerous. Don't get mixed up with her."
"Otherwise... well, you saw how things ended up for those guys, right?"
"Ended up? How did things end up? They looked perfectly fine to me."
"Then you haven't realized the true horror of Aponia. Do you know what their mission was before they came here?"
"I remember they were looking after a meta-morphed kid, and I think she was called... Griseo?"
"More like 'guarding' than looking after."
"I dunno what they did to Griseo... but it sounds like big trouble if they had to seek Aponia's help."
"Trust me, it was a terrible decision."
"Why?"
"I don't know what exactly happened either, but the result... was chilling."
"I heard that every time they saw Griseo, they'd kneel down and beg for forgiveness—that's right, kneeling, begging, weeping... on and on, until Griseo motioned for them to get up."
"... How dramatic."
"It gets worse."
"Apparently, just after completing treatment for Griseo, she calmly asked them—softly, even—who it was that had done this to her."
"Of course they dared not say a word, but Aponia knew all along what was going on. Even so, she wasn't angry and would even smile—but her eyes gradually became bright red. Staring a them, she coldly said:"
"'I'm afraid only the guilty guard the secrets like this.'"
"'Who knows if all these things you've done to her will give you nightmares... Can you even imagine what you'll do when vengeance is visited upon each of you?'"
"'O cowards, does revenge have to be exacted right before you... for you to tremble at your own hypocrisy?'"
"..."
"Isn't that shocking?"
"I am shocked by your interpretation. Are you sure she really said all that?"
"... Hang on. What's that you're holding? An Introduction to 1-Act Playwriting?"
Before the Fall[ | ]
- Last updated: 2022-05-18
- Requirement: This Flame-Chaser's Remembrance Vessel reaches Lv. 9
"Is this what you meant by 'a little' side effect?"
An inky darkness diffused in the culture fluid, exuding a menacing air. This strange creature was not of this world, or perhaps... something demonic.
For now, its eyes were tightly closed as though in hibernation.
Which is why they were able to casually chat about the situation at hand.
"You know the answer to that, Aponia."
"You are the same as he is, you ought to know how this has happened."
That's right, the same.
Aponia still remembered what this average boy had looked before turning into a shadow.
But then he was engulfed by the latent powers within him, causing him to become no different a monster than the Honkai he'd just slain.
The only difference was that his body was still moving with each passing breath.
"He's still special, even by MANTIS standards... I'm grateful to him for that."
"Is he just a specimen to you?"
The green-haired girl did not answer and instead stared at the dial next to the transparent cabin as she silently jotted down notes.
"Don't look at me like that, Aponia."
"Our perception of him won't change his status quo. On the contrary, the only one who could possibly help him is me."
"So you don't need to discuss abstract things like good and evil with me... productivity is what matters most in this laboratory."
"... Can you reverse his mutations?"
"Of course, but there's an absolutely necessary precondition before I finish my work."
"Please... discipline him."
"... I see."
"But what if discipline can't save him?"
"Unfortunately were that to happen, I'd have no other solution, at least for now."
"The mutation will gradually eat away at his body and mind... making him less and less human. And he'll get worse with every Honkai devoured."
"What an incredibly bleak outcome."
"That's what I wanted to remind you of."
"Discipline can certainly help him take the first step."
"But, if he ultimately decides to return to the abyss, then discipline... will doom him forever."
"Ha... that's not a decision I can make."
"Once he lets go, it's hard to get him back to normal. He'll realize how easy it is to break free... as easy as taking a step forward."
"Before him... is only a cliff."
"Even if he steps back, would he be any better?"
"Curb his thirst for Honkai energy and let his sanity wither away, or lose all sense of self as he's devoured by the Honkai energy within..."
"What will he do? Let's wait and see."
Awakened[ | ]
- Last updated: 2022-05-18
- Requirement: This Flame-Chaser's Remembrance Vessel reaches Lv. 10
"... Aponia, do you admit your guilt?"
"Even if it's all for not, I can't just sit here waiting to die," she thought to herself.
Instead, she said aloud: "I plead guilty."
"Are you trying to steal the memories of those who know about the MOTHs, as Vill-V says, without then filling the void left by the missing memories?"
\ [sic]"We've only reached this point through gaining knowledge we shouldn't have," she thought to herself.
Instead, she said aloud: "I plead guilty."
"Have you used your abilities to fabricate the thinking of an ordinary girl into another Elysia?"
"It was her own request, and we all could use more hope," she thought to herself.
Instead, she said aloud: "I plead guilty."
"Did you try to force the thoughts of 600 staff at this site into one single body; and have you caused nearly 40 incidents of vicious malice?"
"They were all so close to death, I just... wanted them to live," she thought.
Instead, she said aloud: "I plead guilty."
"Did you copy the personality of the 8th Herrscher?"
"I don't know what to do anymore," she thought.
Instead, she said aloud: "I plead guilty."
"..."
"Are you willing to accept your punishment for the aforementioned 410 crimes, Aponia?"
"If I wasn't, who else could," she thought.
Instead, she said aloud: "I plead guilty."
The judges began to whisper, and finally reached a consenting verdict. They decided to drop the gavel and execute her.
It was at this time that an unspeakable terror enshrouded them all, leaving them feeling... peculiar.
Why is that woman standing high up in the light, while I sit down here shackled in the darkness?
"Thank you everyone, for sorting out my... failures on my behalf."
She spoke the same as before, except a little more tired.
But she looked ashen, despairing, and lifeless.
She tried almost everything, but she could see the Strings of Fate had not budged. Humanity... is still going to be annihilated.
"You also helped me realize I haven't done enough. I... want to continue on."
[sic]I don't know if my actions are right or wrong, nor whether I will fail or succeed."
"All I can be sure of is that there is no human..."
"... who can stop me."
"That's enough."
She stood up and left.
The judges began to tremble, trying to remember... was it before this trial or some other time...
... that they thought they could pass ruling while locked within this prison?
Kaiju[ | ]
- Last updated: 2022-05-18
- Requirement: This Flame-Chaser's Remembrance Vessel reaches Lv. 11
"... Did the MOTHs forgive you for what you did to Su then?"
A vast number of dormant cabins spread out before them like a subterranean sea of silver, reminiscent of the planet's origins.
Back then, life was born out of the ocean.
"Oh! After all... this is our final hope."
"But it's incredible to discuss all of this with you. You're OK, right? How does it feel, to be unable to see destiny now...?"
"..."
"Confusing."
"I still have no idea how Elysia did this, but somehow she managed."
"... Oh, that's not important. Overall, it's for the best, right?"
"But Vill-V, is it Elysia denied destiny, or that I've been blinded... nobody seems to know."
"I... don't want to lie to myself."
"That's why I've come here."
"Here? I'm afraid you've got the wrong person. Aponia... this isn't where the future is predicted, but where it's created."
"It's nothing to do with this place, Vill-V. Even though the Elysian Realm now belongs to Mobius... it's machinery was still built by your hand."
Standing at the guardrail, the girl turned slightly and made a simple gesture.
"The idea I raised before... is my final request. I know that anything you create has some slack built into it."
"..."
"Aponia, this is suicide."
"I must have an answer, compared to this... life is trivial."
"Since the world can't give me what I need, then I can only..."
"Become a world unto myself."
Singer's Memory[ | ]
An Excerpt from MU Entertainment Weekly[ | ]
- Last updated: 2022-05-18
- Requirement: This Flame-Chaser's Remembrance Vessel reaches Lv. 2
Lately, the talents of a singer named Eden who stole the spotlight in a recent charity concert have garnered much attention. Eden is reported to have signed a contract with ■■ before cutting ties with that company and her agent two months ago. Eden contacted the concert organizer on her own to secure a spot in the event.
The concert did not attract a large audience, but those who attended it were apparently amazed by her singing. Some even recorded her performance and uploaded it to the internet in an attempt to figure out whether she was someone famous, which became the turning point of her popularity.
Professional singers praised her talent: "It's rare that someone her age can sing at this level. I can imagine the sheer amount of effort she has put in. Coupled with her sensational voice, she will likely rise to stardom in the music industry."
Critics, however, expressed their concerns: "Her singing was quite remarkable, but it is too early to tout her as the new star. As can be seen from the videos, her musical expression still leaves much to be desired, and her limited repertoire tells us nothing about her versatility. She may turn out to be another viral one-hit wonder."
After interviewing Eden's ex-manager, we discovered that Eden apparently has her own musical standards and often refused to sing in booked gigs. Only time will tell whether this is the ego of an ignorant newcomer or the insight of an emerging artist.
Chat History[ | ]
- Last updated: 2022-05-18
- Requirement: This Flame-Chaser's Remembrance Vessel reaches Lv. 3
00:21, ■/14
Kevin: Asleep yet?
Su: Nope
Kevin: Too excited to fall asleep?
Su: You're one to talk
Kevin: I mean, it's Eden's concert!!!
Su: Yeah, I waited in line for hours to get the tickets.
Kevin: Hehe, you're the best. I'd have waited in line with you if I hadn't transferred to a school so far away
Kevin: Dinner's on me tomorrow, buddy!
Su: Cool, I'll order everything on the menu then
00:34, ■/14
Su: Oh, right···
Su: You have a crush on a girl from your class, don't you?
Kevin: Σ(°д°
Demise of the King of the Nightcap Realm[ | ]
- Last updated: 2022-05-18
- Requirement: This Flame-Chaser's Remembrance Vessel reaches Lv. 4
Act I: The Nightcap Realm
Once upon a time, there was a prosperous kingdom.
Its people wanted for nothing, and they lived in harmony.
But the king was old and would soon die. The god of death came before his bed and invited him to go to another realm.
"Please wait," the king said.
"I have yet to enjoy enough luxury."
"It was I who built this kingdom," he said.
"It was I who defended it from others."
"It was I who built prosperity, and who took my people far from pain and suffering!"
"Indeed, that you did," the god of death said.
"But I will not exempt you even so."
"The other side is an egalitarian land. It will not show favoritism to the wealthy."
The king was silent.
The king remained silent.
What was he thinking about? There was a faint twinkle in the old man's eye.
"I understand," the king said.
"But allow me to say one last thing, I would like to make a trade with you."
"Oh, but do speak," Death replied.
"Please forget my soul, and after today, never take it again."
"And what shall you trade that for?"
"My people, reap them as you please."
"This moribund frame is not worth your time.
"But my people are strong. Their souls shall be yours."
Death was silent.
Death remained silent.
The bony hand that held the scythe tapped lightly as if weighing some distant fate.
"Then we are agreed," said Death.
"Never again shall I watch your fate, nor shall any other than you claim it."
The king watched as Death departed.
He was elated, and declared a national celebration.
People drank and made merry without end or rest.
The king put on his nightcap and slept in peace.
He put on his nightcap and slept in peace,
He slept in peace...
Act II: The Scrape of Death's Scythe
Behold, a child,
He cries but no one sees.
Hark, whose mirror yonder,
That once reflected the whole, now only fragments.
Hearken, whose husband is that, who once dreamed of spring but now lies buried in a cart.
War, disease, hunger, pestilence.
The nightcap king is asleep, free from these terrors.
He has not awakened, he dreams sweetly.
He does not wake, and no one runs the state.
War, disease, famine, pestilence.
Death's scythe scrapes o'er the land.
War, disease, famine, pestilence.
Who shall deliver us from his hand?
Act III: The Passerine And Its Branches.
"He is no longer out king," the people said.
That's right! That's right!
"We are ashamed to call him our lord," the people cried.
Indeed! Indeed!
"But he has made a deal with death, and none can cut that head down from under that nightcap."
That's so... That's so...
"Our valiant heroes all died terribly, and none could bring him down."
That's true... That's true...
"Cheep cheep, cheep cheep."
Where's that sound coming from?
"Cheep cheep, cheep cheep."
Who is yonder singing?
"Cheep cheep, cheep cheep."
It must be a spirit of the forest!
It is giving us hope!
"Cheep cheep, cheep cheep."
But who can hear them? Who can understand?
Ah, the fruits of fate!
When Death and the King made their deal, it was there!
Ah, the vagaries of destiny!
Its tiny form hid it from Death's eyes!
A prank of providence!
But it cannot speak the secret!
The people spoke in hushed tones, the people gathered to listen.
But they could not understand!
"Pupu, pupu."
Now who is this?
"Pupu, pupu."
A passerine! A passerine came down bearing branches.
Flapping its wings, it came bearing two branches!
The branches were round and dark, branches of holly they were.
Their size and shape, just right they were. Just like...
Ah!
A right fit for the king's nostrils!
"Cheep cheep, cheep cheep."
The trade had a loophole.
"Cheep cheep, cheep cheep."
No one may take the king's life.
"Cheep cheep, cheep cheep."
Unless it were the king himself!
No one could understand its words.
But they had guessed the secret nonetheless!
"Forward, friends! On to the palace!"
That's right! That's right!
"We shall bring these branches of holly, and make the man snuff out his own life!"
Indeed! Indeed!
"When he meets Death, surely he will protest!"
"Old friend, why did you renege on our promise?" That is what he would say.
"No, I did not," Death would reply.
"For you chose not to awaken from the pain of suffocation. You chose to die in peace in your nightcap."
"No matter what the realm, destiny will collect its due."
Yes! Yes!
...
An Excerpt from Global Entertainment Times[ | ]
- Last updated: 2022-05-18
- Requirement: This Flame-Chaser's Remembrance Vessel reaches Lv. 5
A year had passed since the Australian conflagration. People have come to the square to mourn those they lost in the fire. You may recall that a singer named Eden was performing in the Sydney Super Dome when the fire started. The fire ruthlessly engulfed the entire venue and only a small fraction of people, including Eden, survived. Her last song will be remembered as a requiem.
In the past year, Eden has been actively involved in disaster relief, and the foundation she established has contributed greatly to the rehabilitation of the survivors. Regrettably, in a recent survey, when asked "Will you still attend concerts, operas, and other entertainment events?", a staggering 80% of respondents chose "No".
Admittedly, due to the frequent global occurrences of natural disasters and conflicts, our society has been unstable for the past few years, suggesting entertainment is no longer part of life as we know it. Numerous celebrated movie stars and entertainment companies have withdrawn from the scene. In this respect, Eden, who has been holding her ground despite these circumstances, deserves to be called a living miracle.
Perhaps just as a critic said, "Entertainment will die." Future generations might renounce every form of inessential entertainment in order to survive.
But art is different in that it will not die. Art is the fruit of our ingenuity and history, and it will march on together with human society. The era of humanity will not come to an end. The art of humanity cannot be destroyed. The inexperienced girl who took the stage of the charity concert has already conquered us with her singing. We firmly believe she will continue to sing for us, for her angelic voice relieves our pain.
May the brightest star of our era never fall.
A New Star[ | ]
- Last updated: 2022-05-18
- Requirement: This Flame-Chaser's Remembrance Vessel reaches Lv. 6
"Hey, Eden! What are you doing?"
"Ah, Ellie. Don't surprise me from behind like that..."
"I can't help it! Cuz Eden is so pretty~♪"
"Alright, alright, knock it off. Since you're here, take a look at these designs."
"Hmm? What designs?"
"Didn't you complain that your team uniform is not pretty? I tried to design a new one, come and see if you like it."
"Whoa! It's gorgeous! I guess only a superstar like you has such an awesome sense of fashion!"
"I'm so glad you like it. I also designed something for Dr. Mobius and the boys. Can you go and ask their opinions for me?"
"Oof, your design for Mobius is pretty bold, but I think it suits her perfectly. She can throw away that white lab coat now."
"But, Eden, why don't you go talk to them yourself? They all like you a lot."
"That doesn't feel right."
"It's okay, you are one of us now!"
"You know, everyone here — everyone in this era, they grew up listening to your songs. You're our superstar."
Eden smiled faintly.
"Ellie..."
"Hmm?"
"Is the battlefield... a scary place?"
"Well, for me, it's not, but it is kinda... boring, I guess?"
"Well, I guess so... I noticed that fewer and fewer people returned to the base after every battle, and the look on their faces... got grimmer each time. There was pain that I couldn't ease with music."
"Even you're frowning more lately."
"Huh? Don't say that, Eden. Your singing still heals me. I mean it."
"Haha, thanks, Elysia."
"But I actually noticed a long time ago that my 'starlight' on the stage could no longer dispel the dark clouds in people's eyes. It could no longer light up the..."
Elysia did not say a word. After a long time, Eden's voice rang out again.
"Ellie, I have a favor to ask."
"I'm listening."
"This may sound a little abrupt, but... I've already given it thorough consideration."
Eden took a deep breath, as if she was about to step onto an unfamiliar stage.
Then, she smiled frankly and looked at Elysia—
"I'd like to have the Meta-Morph surgery."
Bounties of Gold[ | ]
- Last updated: 2022-05-18
- Requirement: This Flame-Chaser's Remembrance Vessel reaches Lv. 7
"I'd like to gift the golden courtyard to you, Mobius."
Surprised, the green-haired woman stopped working with her scalpel.
She slowly raised her head to glance at her graceful guest standing in the lab doorway.
"Are you drunk again?"
Eden half-smiled. "No."
"Oh."
She bowed her head and stared at the scalpel in her hand as if it was an alien construct.
"Elysia sent you to pull a prank on me?"
"Mobius..."
"...Fine, I'm sorry."
She finally put down the scalpel and shifted her gaze back to the woman by the door.
"What's wrong, Eden? How did this idea occur to you?"
"No, Mobius, it didn't just occur to me..." Eden replied. "I've been thinking about it since the Herrscher of Corruption incident."
"Oh... You mean that time..."
"Humanity's losses are immeasurable and the cost of victory is escalating. I believe anyone aware of the situation will not see it as a victory..."
"..."
"You're a scientist, Mobius. You must have foreseen this ahead of me—that victory may no longer exist in this era."
"I assume this is why you insisted on keeping the memories of the Flame-Chasers." Eden added.
"What are you talking about, Eden? Wasn't that Elysia's idea?"
"..."
She did not answer. She only smiled at the girl by the operating table.
"..."
"Fine... You're right, Eden."
"I knew long ago that this era could not prevail."
"Even if there was a possibility... This era is already too broken to qualify as an era. Would you claim a single-armed body to be a human?"
Eden leaned against the doorframe. She knew what the girl meant, but she never liked her analogies.
"This is why... I want to gift the golden courtyard to you, Mobius." She restated her purpose in coming.
"Why me?"
Eden showed a gentle smile.
"Because I know you need her, my friend. Your researches and plans cannot continue without the golden courtyard."
"I feel uneasy about gifting it to the reckless boys. As for Dr. MEI... you know her health condition... As for Elysia... this is not a job for her."
"I only hope if the golden courtyard survives the collapse of this era... it's safe in the hands of someone who can give full play to its value."
Mobius listen quietly. She felt the woman before her was not her usual self.
It felt as if she had decided something and realized something...
"I know what you mean. What I want to know is... why not yourself, Eden? Why are you giving the golden courtyard to me now?"
Eden only softened her gaze.
Her gaze seemed to tell her dear comrade that she knew the reason all along.
"..."
"Fine." Mobius said at last. "I accept your offer, Eden."
"Thank you, Mobius. I hope it will serve you well."
"No... Thank you Eden."
Eden nodded with a smile before leaving.
...
Mobius might have known the reason all along. She had known it from the moment she operated on Eden.
The Final Scene[ | ]
- Last updated: 2022-05-18
- Requirement: This Flame-Chaser's Remembrance Vessel reaches Lv. 8
"The cryopods are ready." Mobius shifted her gaze from the display to the people in the room.
"Understood," replied Hua.
"..."
Kevin looked around the room.
"Where's Eden?"
"She... is probably outside," suggested Mobius.
"I'll go get her." Kevin headed toward the door.
"No," interjected Mobius, "I'll do it..."
Outside the base, a record player was nonchalantly playing a tune, as if it did not know that its era had ended.
Eden stood next to it, swirling the wine in her glass and humming along to the old music.
"I haven't head this for a long time," commented Mobius. "I remember this is a song from your homeland."
"Doctor, I thought you can't remember any music not made by your devices."
"Come back, Eden. The cryopods are ready. Staying out here is bad for you. You know this place is thick with radiation."
"..."
"Kevin sent you, didn't he?"
"Well..."
"Then you already know my answer, Doctor."
"...I know."
"..."
"..."
They remained silent for a while. The record came to an abrupt stop, and the sound of applause faded.
"How strange." Eden sounded wistful. "I'm sure this place would be much livelier if Ellie was around."
"Are you serious? Her screeching would drown out the music."
"I know you don't like her, but we must admit... many of her remarks turned out to be true."
Mobius did not respond. She did not want to continue with this topic.
"Eden... won't you at least think about it?"
"Doctor, you know me well. I only make thought-out decisions."
"I understand you... but are you really giving up on the next generation of humans?"
Eden smiled at Mobius, as if she was a naive and inquisitive child.
"Doctor, do you know what Elysia told me?"
"She told me that the people of this era grew up listening to my songs."
"Doctor, my singing belongs to this era. I belong to this era."
"This is by no means foolish vanity or cowardly surrender. This is... a kind of faith."
"The next generation should script their own fate and sing their own songs. New stars will certainly rise. The songs of this era... will thrive and perish with this era."
Eden gave a slight nod to Mobius before drifting away into the wasteland with a smile.
Mobius knew their conversation had ended. She was not in the least surprised by Eden's choice.
She turned toward the base.
♪The field of golden wheat swayed♪
♪Where can the wandering rider call home♪
She suddenly heard an angelic song coming from behind. In the apocalyptic landscape where only debris and sand remained, it sounded like a gift from the heavens.
Mobius looked back in surprise. It was Eden performing her last song to the vast heaven and earth.
Strange, Mobius had always thought her songs as nothing more than glorified noise. Then why did her heart now sting with grief?
Was it the power of art?
♪Oh, my love, may we never part ways♪
♪Oh, my love, may time stay still for us♪
No, that was not it. Mobius denied it to herself. She assessed the situation from a purely rational perspective.
It was because she was watching an era wither away.
Before then, the collapse of an era was only an abstract concept to Mobius.
It was only people dying out. It was only species becoming extinct.
But as she watched Eden disappear into the boundless wasteland, she felt something crumble for the first time.
Eden's singing belonged to this era. Eden belonged to this era.
Eden was the microcosm of this era.
Yet her song wafted closer and closer to death and the end of the world.
It was the last time this beautiful voice resounded through the heavens and the earth.
♪Oh, my love, may we never part ways♪
♪Oh, my love, may time stay still for us♪
............
Such heavenly music would never be heard again.
Kindling[ | ]
- Last updated: 2022-05-18
- Requirement: This Flame-Chaser's Remembrance Vessel reaches Lv. 9
"I know. But... why me?
"I understand... Even when we're buried underneath, our fates are still at the mercy of history."
"What people call experience is also a prophecy in itself."
"That's why Dr. MEI thinks I'm the best candidate to implement Project Ember."
"But I know that isn't the truth."
In the wine swirling in Eden's glass floated a white and green blade of buffalo grass.
This was her first time trying this uniquely flavored spirit, but a sip was enough to tell her that it was not her thing.
And the same could be applied to why she was seated here today.
"Hua, this Project Ember... may seem to be imparting the knowledge of the past... of our era to the next generation, but in essence, it's opening up a new era."
"And I... The era that belongs to me is now. My stage is right here."
"No matter how bright the future is, it's not where I should be, there's... no place for me there."
"But why, Eden... why me?"
"If you entrust it to someone else... surely they'll be able to handle it better than me."
"No, Hua... you mustn't keep belittling yourself."
"You are the brightest morning star among us. In terms of potential, none of us are your equal."
"You're only too young and need more experience... yet we're always short of time."
"And... as I see it, Project Ember is less of a mission or a duty but more of a..."
"Gift from me to you."
Eden smiled and raised her glass again.
"Hua, you're different from me. A life you can call your own has yet to begin."
"And this Project Ember... If one of us must enter a new era for it..."
"I want that person to be you."
"You can be yourself there, and live your life as Hua instead of a Flame-Chaser."
"I hope that... in the new era, your life belongs to you and you alone."
As soon as Eden finished, the two girls named Nuwa and Fuxi walked into the room.
They eyed the soldier who was sitting across from Eden.
"They... are appointed by Dr. MEI to help with Project Ember. They'll be rekindling the embers for the new era with you."
The two girls looked to Eden as she spoke, then looked back to Hua.
Fuxi did not say a word, but Nuwa could not hold back any longer.
"Ahem... since Dr. MEI said you're in charge of the project, we'll definitely respect your decisions."
"It's just that... Eden, the difference between you two... is huge!"
"...Hm? Difference? Where?"
Eden tilted her head and looked at the gesturing Nuwa with a puzzled expression.
"Uh... It's... I mean... Well..."
"Forget it, it's nothing important~"
The girl named Nuwa approached Hua and reached out her hand.
"Let's work together from now on, Hua."
The Art of Science[ | ]
- Last updated: 2022-05-18
- Requirement: This Flame-Chaser's Remembrance Vessel reaches Lv. 10
"...It's really amazing."
Eden expressed her sincere appreciation for the massive train.
"If I remember correctly, this should be the 1st Divine Key to have absolutely nothing to do with the MOTHs, right?"
"Uh-huh, that's right! There's no rule that Divine Keys have to be a sword or a gun, y'know?"
"I have a hunch... This 2nd Divine Key you've made will be recreated one day... by just the right person and for something we can't even imagine yet..."
Vill-V realized her biggest shareholder was in a good mood today. It was unclear whether she had some kind of artistic resonance with her invention or if she was simply a bit tipsy.
"Then why don't I take this opportunity to show you some other surprises, Ms. Eden."
Eden nodded slightly, signaling for her to go on.
"First of all, let me reiterate what I believe in: giving customers what they want, but in a way they can't imagine."
"For example... look here. I've finished the wine corkscrew mentioned the last time we spoke. But I didn't want it to be a boring old corkscrew, so I turned it into a powerful vacuum cleaner, just for you!"
"That way, you can just suck the cork out."
Eden was still listening—maybe she's completely drunk.
"Also, I have always believed that an invention with only once function is bad design."
"Oh? What should I think about that..."
"If that's the case..."
Vill-V walked to Eden and stretched out her hand.
"Also, allow me to use the 9th Divine Key for a live demonstration."
Eden handed over the 9th Divine Key to its maker, her curiosity piqued.
"Please keep your eyes open, dear audience! Today, you are fortunate enough to witness the unknown side of the 9th Divine Key, transcending it beyond a weapon; its original, most authentic form!"
The Divine Key flipped and transformed in her fingers. Vill-V then held it high above her head—
"Now! Just flip the switch annnnd—"
"Boom—!"
A quiet sound emanates.
"—A beautiful, tiny flower blooms!"
Under the Silver Moon[ | ]
- Last updated: 2022-05-31
- Requirement: This Flame-Chaser's Remembrance Vessel reaches Lv. 11
The moon hung high.
As the night grew darker, the wind began to pick up.
The girl sat silently with her eyes closed, letting the night breeze blow across her temples. Her cheecks glowed a bright reed, but the deeper the wine went, the quieter she became; as if she would turn into a mist of pale powder at any moment, escaping into the night sky.
"Look! We're so close to the moon."
"I haven't been to such a high place in a very long time."
A softer female voice answered back, embracing her like a wave and bringing an invisible comfort.
"Only in this kind of place can we enjoy the night, Elysia."
"You always know just how to soothe my heart, darling Eden."
"Do you want to talk about the meeting again? I can tell it's on your mind."
"Um, okay. After the meeting... what else did everybody say?"
"Nothing, just like the outcome of this meeting."
"Maybe over the short term, there won't be more meetings like this."
"I knew Mei was just saying that. She really was the best to me."
"So... What did Aponia say?"
"Aponia, she... wasn't there."
"Oh... I see. Maybe Aponia thinks there's no need to spend time on things that can be falsified."
"After all, she's like you; she's always believed in me. But even so, she should go there and at least say a few words on my behalf."
"And what about Vill-V? What was her reaction?"
"She didn't say a word. Rather... Vill-V was there but seemed absent."
"... Really? That would be a pity."
Elysia raised her head toward the vast sky. The moonlight was as clear as water, exuding pure and faultless light.
The girl laid down on her back and pushed herself against the warmth.
"Stay with me for a while, Eden. I want to enjoy the night a little longer."
"I never thought that your first collapse would be used in this kind of situation. It's so romantic. I like it very much."
"..."
"Thank you, Eden. And..."
"I'm very happy to have met you."
The night grew darker.
Under the bright evening sky, a huge aquatic creature carrying a touch of light powder, with the sky as its sea, its tail gently swaying, disappeared to the other side of the vast starry sky.
Fool's Memory[ | ]
Surprise Preview[ | ]
- Last updated: 2022-05-18
- Requirement: This Flame-Chaser's Remembrance Vessel reaches Lv. 2
"You're about to witness something very exciting. The true appearance of the 4th Divine Key is nigh. Don't be stingy with your praise and applause, because this will be..."
"Read the room, Vill-V. This is neither the time nor the place for one of your speeches."
"Get to the point."
Despite the interruption, Vill-V betrayed no signs of displeasure.
"Right, it seems like everyone is simply dying to see it. Worry not, you'll get what you came for."
"Do you still remember the world-famous 2nd Divine Key? Take some time and think back to that moment so that what you're about to see doesn't shock you."
"...You haven't made it an aircraft carrier, have you?"
"No—how cliché!"
"This time, things have gotten a bit more... stellar!"
An artificial satellite was projected onto the meeting room screen.
"Behold! This is the vessel I've designed for the 4th Divine Key. It can operate indefinitely in this form."
"..."
"Keep talking... a satellite, and then what?"
"For now, its sole purpose is to periodically orbit us. As for what happens next... to tell the truth, I have no aspirations to arm a space-based weapon. To be frank, its function ought to go beyond that..."
The next hour passed by slowly.
The presentation concluded and the room remained silent.
Only Dr. Mei, remaining calm, called over the staff.
She ordered Vill-V's engineering budget cut by eighty percent.
Endowment[ | ]
- Last updated: 2022-05-18
- Requirement: This Flame-Chaser's Remembrance Vessel reaches Lv. 3
The corridor snaked and extended into the distance, as if endless.
Countless mirrors packed the floors and walls, creating a labyrinthine sea of mirrors.
Inside seemed as though there were a million mimics copying your every move, which was utterly confusing.
Perhaps this was the designer's intent.
The green-haired girl walked up the spiral staircase, her tiny body seemingly thinner among the shadows.
She gazed coldly at the mirrored walls, and Mobius watched back from within the mirrors.
"The layout's changed again... Each time I visit, it's completely different."
"I don't get it... why do you always waste your time on such meaningless things?"
"Because everyone who visits the Helixcraft is our special guest. It's basic hospitality. Right, Mobius?"
"Vill-V leaned out from behind a mirror, landing in front of her.
"How do you like the mirror room I built for you?"
Mobius could barely contain her surprise.
"I'm not interested in your innovation. Besides, these dead things... have never held any beauty of note."
"Are my parts ready yet?"
"Uh, here they are. It only took me a day. I spent the rest of the time rebuilding the Helixcraft."
"Excellent. As promised, I'll repay you for the material cost and the lab's—"
"Hey, hold on a second."
Vill-V raised her hand, holding the parts deliberately out of Mobius' reach.
Retracting her hand, Mobius stared blankly at the girl before her.
She gave no reaction. She knew doing so would only make Vill-V more excited.
"What are you doing?"
"Don't be so impatient! I just want to ask you something, and if you sate my curiosity, of course I'll hand them over."
She held up the materials to her eyes and peered through them at Mobius.
"Just like molten glass, the inside is like liquid and its refractive properties make it good for prosthetic eyes."
"This is your sixteenth order. Before that, there were calcified alloys for prosthetic bones, replacement heart pumps..."
"It's incredible, Mobius. What will you use them all for?"
"..."
"None of your business."
[sic]Don't jump to conclusions. If you've got some great innovation planned, I can help."
"Could you be planning to augment your own body? Finally turning experimentation on yourself, after honing your craft?"
"Or perhaps you want some new legs to make yourself taller? If so, let me help you. Out of all the MOTHs... I'm your best choice for this."
"I don't have to answer you. Hand over the parts, Vill-V."
"Oh yes, speaking of which—I've got another hypothesis."
"All these random parts don't mean much, but if you put them together they could form a... person."
"Could it be that you're sick of having to find live samples, and you're planning on creating your own source material?"
"Even if it's an android, it's just an empty shell without a soul."
"Or have you finally mastered soul technology, using someone's soul to..."
"—Ka-CRASH—"
Vill-V's words dropped off as the Helixcraft mirrors suddenly shattered.
Thousands of Mobiuses scowled across the scattered shards.
"Vill-V, put away your curiosity for now. I don't want to have to add such a noisy specimen to our lab."
"This... is not a question you should be asking."
The Darkest[ | ]
- Last updated: 2022-05-18
- Requirement: This Flame-Chaser's Remembrance Vessel reaches Lv. 4
The Deep End.
Everything is shrouded in endless darkness. Death and cold are eternal motifs here.
Two voices that don't belong ring out in the distance.
"Has the experiment begun yet?"
"The sea nearby was attacked by the Legion Herrscher and Kevin is making preparations."
"The experiment is about to begin."
Mei was wearing a custom battlesuit that she'd never shown anyone before: the Key of Blankness.
Nobody else would ever recognize this as an experiment.
"Deploying the untested Divine Key straight into battle is incredibly bold, Dr. Mei. Bold; and you're so confident."
"I wish I'd known this side of you earlier! We could've gotten up to some fun and really surprised people."
"This isn't over-confidence. I have a plan B. That's why I invited you here, Vill-V."
"If the Key of Blankness doesn't work as predicted, you'll have to open the gateway to the Deep End."
"That'll show the Legion Herrscher exactly how much... weight the darkness of human burial has."
"An incredible decision."
The engineer summoned was stunned, then erupted into exaggerated applause.
"I have absolutely no doubt that Aponia's Deep End can resolve this crisis."
"But, the only good lion is a de-fanged lion. The only reason those prisoners are so compliant is that this is the Deep End."
"I'm no tamer, but if they're all released at once and go and grow used to such freedom, how are you going to get them back in their cells?"
"You can answer that question on your own."
"Everything you make has a backdoor program for modifications and controls."
"..."
"I believe that the Deep End... is no exception."
Rumors: Tour[ | ]
- Last updated: 2022-05-18
- Requirement: This Flame-Chaser's Remembrance Vessel reaches Lv. 5
"...No wonder Dr. Mobius always said that every visit to the Helixcraft looked a little bit different."
"So she was just trying to find ways to make up for the cuts to her engineering budget? Is that so..."
"So you rarely see her fumble or blowing up her workshop these days."
"Since Dr. Mei lifted the restrictions, she's been reluctant to do that again."
"Then... what about the 5th Divine Key? Is it really... Nirvana, like they say?"
"Sshh..."
He finally raised his head, taking in his surroundings as he muttered in an extremely deep voice...
"That's just gossip. Listen all you like, but don't spread it."
"They say the MOTHs are still looking for the perfect candidate and if they can't find one, they'd rather the 5th Divine Key never say the light of day."
"Hmm... let me think... she has so many accomplishments, and I don't know where to begin..."
"What about the fortress that she calls the Gaia Conscience?"
"Obviously, that failed."
"Using the whole planet to build her own fortress...? It was doomed to fail from the beginning, just like many of her ideas. It did leave behind lots of ruins though..."
"Someone that 'primitive' couldn't manage all that either?"
"Hey... there's no evidence of her existence."
"Unless we can rope off an area to neutralize any MANTIS who enters, otherwise, nobody would be able to see her—but that'd be impossible."
"Maybe the original MOTHs crew might know something, but... well, you know how hard it is to meet any of those survivors."
"So... it's been 5 hours of questions already. What do you want from me?"
[sic]5... hours?!"
"Shoot, Dr. Mobius might have..."
"Actually, I just wanted to ask where Vill-V is now?"
"Huh? I'm afraid you'll have to wait a while for that answer. She went out on her own magical tour again, to..."
"If I'm not mistaken, the Mu continent?"
"Oh. Well, this might be cruel but I feel obligated to remind you that she just set off some three hours ago."
Message Board[ | ]
- Last updated: 2022-05-18
- Requirement: This Flame-Chaser's Remembrance Vessel reaches Lv. 6
...
■ Expert
"Ok, that's fine. But let me warn you; you're not allowed to eat those messy things again. Every time I operate this body after you... think about someone else for once, would you?
■ Great Magician
"Haha... hypocrite! Why do you have to wear those heavy boots? I need to take care of them every time I go on stage to perform. Other people's time counts too."
■ Scholar
Replying to the Expert—
"Alright."
■ Model Five
"..."
■ Vill-V
Replying to the Expert—
"I've got bad news for you; she still ate it."
■ Expert
Replying to Vill-V—
"... Forget it. Today's topic is too important to focus on that. It's too late to use my theory on the 11th Herrscher. Any other ideas?"
■ Great Magician
"Ahaha... pretend I don't exist. I'll devote my time to the expert until it's resolved. All the best."
■ Scholar
Replying to the Expert—
"I didn't eat it."
Replying to the Great Magician—
"Same."
■ Model Five
"..."
■ Vill-V
"Haha! Sure, I'd like to join them, but... it's not our moment yet, right? But you're the expert, you've occupied this body for 3 months already. Haven't you learned anything?"
■ Expert
"No way! When did I... That's weird... you... haven't you awaken at all these past months? Did she awaken or was it... a different Vill-V..."
The Will of the Masses[ | ]
- Last updated: 2022-05-18
- Requirement: This Flame-Chaser's Remembrance Vessel reaches Lv. 7
Time is running out.
This hard-fought visit is coming to an end, but before that, she must come up with a lie to trick her adversary.
"... OK, let me tell the truth then."
"The reason why I want the Key of Blankness is because I want to mass-produce an army of Herrschers. How exciting would that be!"
"Try another one, Vill-V."
The voice floating over from the stretcher was still very weak. In fact, the patient's life could be described as hanging by a thread.
"What a pain you are..."
"Fine. Do you still remember the ark you put me in charge of? I want to use the Key of Blankness on it as an alternate power source."
"Next."
"What...? Isn't that one pretty reasonable? I can show you the blueprints."
"Vill-V, it's precisely because these reasons you've been throwing at me are so reasonable that I don't believe you."
"How can an unorthodox genius like yourself come up with such simple plans?"
"Your evaluation is... garbage."
"..."
"Well actually, that's just a guess seeing as how you're just like that..."
"Dr. Mei, there's one thing I haven't been able to understand... when you used the Key of Blankness on the 10th Herrscher, why did you have to replace the core?"
"It seems that the same person's body and soul can only take one Herrscher's core at a time..."
"..."
"Vill-V, you can't do that."
Despite her weakness and difficulty of thinking, she still reacted quickly.
"Well... I don't wanna tell you the truth, Dr. Mei."
"I knew you'd be like that. Hang on, aren't you worried that... your little boyfriend is no match for me?"
"..."
"You know what I can do. There's more than just one soul inside me so..."
"The stakes are low for us. There's only one Vill-V—that's it."
"But if the situation really is as I surmise..."
"Then time is running out, right Dr. Mei?"
At the Starry Sea's End[ | ]
- Last updated: 2022-05-18
- Requirement: This Flame-Chaser's Remembrance Vessel reaches Lv. 8
"... Oh, that ark has another visitor. Never knew it was this popular!"
The girl was concentrating on her sketch and didn't hear what was being said.
Judging by the color palette, she was painting the vessel before her.
"Should I tell Kalpas this ship is more popular than he is? If I weren't for him, this project wouldn't be theoretically feasible."
"A spaceship... I love it."
Griseo buried herself in her painting.
"Kosma said that he has to leave here to work on a project."
"Wow... even you know about that? Didn't Mei say it was confidential? I guess someone else must be spreading the news out there just like I've been."
"..."
"You're curious, aren't you? And you'll have far more to paint once you board this ship."
"I want to go too."
[sic]You're dreaming—you couldn't go even if you wanted to. Nobody told me to add a passenger seat."
"I don't want to go WITH him... but in his place."
"It's lonely up there, and Kosma hates being alone."
"... Vill-V, please help me."
"Oh, you're being serious?... Alright, then. I'll get serious too."
"The answer is no. You're just a kid. And just like your unfinished painting, you hold so much potential."
"Griseo, you still have a chance to become a star that lights up people's lives, instead of..."
The sound of footsteps cut Vill-V off.
"...Tsk, someone's coming again. Who could it be? And how am I gonna explain you being here?"
The girl put down her paintbrush.
"It's Kosma. He's here."
The Watchmaker[ | ]
- Last updated: 2022-05-18
- Requirement: This Flame-Chaser's Remembrance Vessel reaches Lv. 9
"It's not your fault."
Things can seem tricky, in Su's opinion.
The girl sitting before him had never shown such an expression—never.
Life is such a heavy concept, it can overwhelm anyone.
"I've had the same experience before."
"Oh... have you also ruined the final hope of all mankind before?"
"..."
"I mean... have you also indirectly murdered the entire population of three cities before?"
"No need to keep sticking up for me, Su. Those nukes were designed by me."
"..."
Although similar in some regards, it seems like their experiences were not the same.
Weapons are themselves innocent, he could have said.
At least you designed them to protect humanity, he could have said.
The rise of the cursed Herrscher brought this upon us, he could have said.
But he didn't.
The only reason these two sat face-to-face right now, right here, is because they're both people who put blame on themselves.
"You know what I think, Su? Someone once said··· 'If I'd known things would turn out this way, I'd have become a watchmaker instead.'"
"Maybe so."
Disagreement began to rise in Su's mind, but with the self-control of a psychiatrist, he decided to follow this train of thought and continue the conversation.
"Really? No... no..."
"Su, this is nonsense. I made this mistake by myself, and I'll make up for it all by myself."
"I'm not going to be some watchmaker. If I run away depressed from everything, then I've no business calling myself a 'Flame-Chaser.'"
"Vill-V, you've come here today to..."
"Oh, I don't need you to psychoanalyze me. I just want to explain to you... why I want to do this. And... that I hope you can forgive me."
Su finally realized then that she's never showed this expression before not because she had never been depressed.
—But because until today, she'd never actively acted against a companion before.
"Hand over the 5th Divine Key to me, Su."
"I have to destroy it—whether you agree or not; no matter what happens to the MOTHs afterward."
"I want to repurpose it from a weapon of mass destruction to a life-sustaining flame."
"'The Suspended Key; The Great Hibernation'... what an awesome name. I could have a completely different meaning though, couldn't it?"
Dedication[ | ]
- Last updated: 2022-05-18
- Requirement: This Flame-Chaser's Remembrance Vessel reaches Lv. 10
"How's it coming along?"
"Quit bugging me. Fine wine takes time to settle. Ingenious inventions even more so."
"Of course, you know far better about the horrors of Kevin than me. There's no easy way to beat him."
"Right now, the only successful Kevin Killer around is Dr. Mei."
"..."
He looked at Vill-V in silence, as if wondering whether to leave or not.
"But seeing as you're here, I won't let you leave disappointed."
"I've actually been working on a Kevin Killer in the lab. Would you mind testing it out for me?"
Some fifty seconds later, the man walked out of the testing area.
\ [sic]"...Is it over?"
"Yes."
"Tsk, looks like another violent disassembly. I'll have to see how many of those parts you gave me can be reused."
He followed Vill-V back to the testing area he saw her let out a cry and crouch down to gather up the scattered parts off the floor.
Stop trying to add weird wings and eyes to the Kevin Killer. Those design are completely useless."
"Not entirely useless, right Kevin?"
"Judging by the damage to these parts, you were really freaked out."
"..."
He met her question with mere silence.
Fortunately, Vill-V wasn't looking for any answer. She put down the parts and winked at him.
"Also, you shouldn't tell a technician that her work is 'completely useless.'"
"How can you be sure that the only weapon I want to test is this one?"
He looked around at the testing area. It was empty, except for the two of them.
"Have you prepared anything else? Where is it?"
"Relax. The party's just getting started."
A roar of laughter echoed through the empty lab, and Vill-V drew closer to Kevin.
"Well, this is the last card in my hand, but it still needs to be tested out."
"Next up, you might feel a little dissociation, but don't worry about it. Go all out!"
The doors of the testing area slowly closed shut.
Just then, eight long and slender shadows like the legs of a spider reached out to envelope Kevin.
Remnants[ | ]
- Last updated: 2022-05-18
- Requirement: This Flame-Chaser's Remembrance Vessel reaches Lv. 11
That is the Iron Wasteland.
Failed weapons and battlesuits lie strewn at will like broken toys, destroying the original colors of nature.
\ [sic]Mobius 'walked' through the ruins stony-faced, clutching on to her crashed ELF.
She suddenly stopped, as her gaze fell onto some mechanical wreckage heaped in a corner.
It was dilapidated battlesuit that still emitted a weak Honkai energy signal.
"A replica of the Key of Blankness... looks like there's an old friend of ours here."
She hesitated but a few seconds before deciding to continue on, pretending that nothing had happened.
Some five hundred feet in front of her lay the second 'old friend' of hers, randomly discarded.
Firearms, vehicles, broken defense bots. The weapons just lying here were enough to form an arsenal.
The only problem was that all the tech was busted, scattered in a piteous pattern and covered in filth—hinting at the fate that had befallen their owners.
"Quite literal disarmament... I wonder if they made it out alive?"
Finally, after wending through almost a mile of this mech wreckage, Mobius found Vill-V lying unconscious amidst the rubble, beside a pit.
She didn't look any better than all of the randomly discarded machinery seen on the way here: Her body was mutilated by scarring, and her clearly-broken arm was bent at an unholy angle.
The only good news was that she was still faintly breathing.
"How brutal..."
"Mistaking the power of science for your own power. How is this any different from those cowardly MOTHs?"
"If you put all your trust in something other than yourself, then you can expect a backlash once you lose control of it."
"Greedy human... you fail to understand such a simple truth?"
Mobius started coldly at Vill-V lying spent on the ground for what seemed like an eternity, before letting out a sigh.
She gently folded Klein into the crook of her arm for ease of carrying, before grabbing onto one of Vill-V's feet.
"I'll drag you back like this. The broken parts can be salvaged for prostheses."
"Even in death, you're still a pain in the ass."
The jolt of being dragged made her come to, and Mobius heard a low moan from behind her.
"Let... me... go..."
"What are you blathering on about? Are you gonna crawl back yourself?"
Mobius turned her head dispassionately, and stopped in her tracks.
Behind her, Vill-V was gazing at her with a completely unfamiliar look in her eyes.
"That's... who are you...?"
Mad King's Memory[ | ]
Exhibit: A Video Tape[ | ]
- Last updated: 2022-05-18
- Requirement: This Flame-Chaser's Remembrance Vessel reaches Lv.
"In this video, we can vaguely see two people engaged in high-speed combat. To ensue the smoothness of this presentation, we have retrieved all nearby surveillance footage and edited the relevant clips together."
"Just as you have seen, we have been able to identify the two parties involved via the battle damage and the voices 4 minutes and 12 seconds. Over here. Please listen."
...
"I've seen your weakness, Kalpas. That's a bad habit."
"See? Haha... You can see a star, but can you touch it?"
Amidst a curtain of rain, there was a flash of a sword, and the video feed cut.
...
"Well, Elysia, I think you owe everyone sitting here an explanation. [sic]
"Did you seriously pluck him out of the Abyss Lab on your own initiative without making him face any consequences for his prior actions just because he could fight a member of Cocoon on an even keel?"
"Eh? And here I thought that this video would speak for itself."
"He was up against a MANTIS. He didn't win, sure, but he was able to wound his opponent. I don't think any of you seated here could claim to do the same, right?"
"..."
"Anyway, Abyss Lab also equipped him with certain restraints that... Actually, never mind. I don't think you'd understand this one even if I told you."
"Actually, you know what? If we need some evidence, why not have some direct proof?"
"Sakura, could you help me out? Could you help me relate the process and result of that battle for everyone again? Please and thank you~"
Trial Transcript: Apr. 21[ | ]
- Last updated: 2022-05-18
- Requirement: This Flame-Chaser's Remembrance Vessel reaches Lv.
"...In summary, Elvin, you were in the vicinity of Kalpas as a member of the auxiliary troops when the incident occurred, correct?"
"Yes... But you probably know the things he said... Do you understand me? He took off his mask... I didn't dare to look at his face. I didn't even think about it... I only kept my head down and watched his feet move about..."
"... Yes, he wasn't walking or running... I swear I don't blink, but I didn't see how he moved from one place to another."
"I only saw pieces of Honkai Beasts... and something red... splatter like snowflakes onto me... and onto his shoes."
"We are aware of Kalpas's physical abilities. You do not need to describe them."
"That is to say, in your opinion, Kalpas is responsible for the incident."
"Yes... No, I'm not certain... Nobody else was present... but I didn't see the whole picture, either."
"Based on your testimony and our investigation, we cannot draw any other conclusion."
"No, what I meant was... the man who took off the mask... was he still Kalpas?"
Rumor: The Mask[ | ]
- Last updated: 2022-05-18
- Requirement: This Flame-Chaser's Remembrance Vessel reaches Lv.
"...To ordinary people, a mask is often a tool used to conceal the truth and one's identity. To Kalpas, however, a mask is a way of projecting of his emotions. Without his mask, he will experience difficulty in expressing himself. Of course, this is only my opinion. I will not change my mind even if it has been proven wrong."
"...If he wears the mask representing happiness, it is in fact a warning signal - he only finds joy in bloodshed. If he wears a mask representing shyness... this can only mean his other masks have been destroyed in battles. You must not think that he is actually feeling shy... or there will be consequences."
- Excerpt from "Kalpas' Mask Made Easy With 100 Question"
"Hey, Emile, is this book telling the truth? It certainly seems that way."
"How would I know?"
"You're the adjutant to Kalpas, Emile. And your tenure... has lasted long enough to be legendary."
"Before you, this post was occupied by over twenty people!"
"So? It's their problem if they're quitters. Besides, he rarely brings me to the battlefield... On the contrary, it's an easy job. [sic]
"You're oddly optimistic..."
"So what exactly did you read to me? Sounds like verbose, elaborate bull."
"Huh? Emile, you haven't heard of this book? "Kalpas' Masks Made Easy With 100 Questions" is a bestseller on base."
"Who wrote this book, anyway? It can't possibly be factual or useful."
"If anything... what it says completely contradicts the truth..."
"Well... I don't know who wrote it, but it's signed "A Girl As Gorgeous As Dancing Petals"... Odd. Oh, excuse me, a new message came in.
"..."
"Let's talk some other time, Emile. I've been selected for an urgent mission."
"An urgent mission?"
"Yeah... the 10th Herrscher has appeared."
Before the Sunset[ | ]
- Last updated: 2022-05-18
- Requirement: This Flame-Chaser's Remembrance Vessel reaches Lv.
Across the stormy sands splayed the fresh blood of dying light.
When the girl with serpentine eyes finally reached the dune at the heart of this ocean, the Keys of Domination that had been stabbed into the grit had already numbered over a hundred. Each one of them was shattered like toys hurled by some child. The startling deformation on each of their hilts also hinted at their having been undergone some horrid torture.
The masked man slept amidst these broken blades, his limbs stretched out, and only lazily opened his eyes when the young girl had already overshadowed his face.
"Congratulations, you've officially washed out of the Meta-Morph-induced MANTIS plan." The snake-eyed girl surveyed the broken blade around them. "At this rate, you're going to break every Key of Domination we have all by yourself."
"...No."
"Seriously, forget it. It's apparent that you're not going to become a MANTIS in this way. There are too few fights in this would that could actually threaten you and make you awaken."
"In any case, given this scene of destruction, I don't think you're getting a Key of Domination ever again. *sigh* Shame... I was wondering what shape they might take in your hands."
"Well then, farewell, Kalpas. Fight on as a 'normal human.' Such a chance is coveted by many, you know?"
"Cut the crap, Mobius. You know why I asked you to come here."
"..."
"Well, of course. But first... why should I?"
The reddening run continued sinking in the west, painting everything in its blood-red hues.
The girl's viper eyes, the ocean of sand, the broken blades, even the man's mask.
"Because I... will kill everything."
"..."
"You're insane."
"That said... I will help you become a MANTIS — through my own methods, of course."
"Now then, Kalpas, entrust your greatest secret to me."
"How did a 'normal human' like you gain the strength to fight MANTIS soldiers on an even keel? Just how did you come to be?"
Private Duel[ | ]
- Last updated: 2022-05-18
- Requirement: This Flame-Chaser's Remembrance Vessel reaches Lv.
"Dr. Mobius... No... Please don't... I don't wanna die..."
"What? Scared already? Didn't you tell me... you'll even risk your life for science if that's what it takes to become my assistant?"
"But... but that's Kalpas! I've heard that even the shockwaves of this attacks can kill bystanders."
"Dr. Mobius, please let me go. I'll gladly offer to dedicate my life to science, but to die like this... is utterly... is utterly pointless."
"You're exaggerating. Besides... this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Like others, they'll be transferred to other bases, which means their once-per-month duel permit and the repair budget that goes with it will both be revoked."
"..."
"Okay... Dr. Mobius. But... can you lend me half of the protective gear you're wearing?"
"Shhhh... Here they come."
...
When hot winds funneled down through the canyon, two men facing each other materialized.
"Today will be different, Kalpas."
"I know. This is the last time."
"Yes, the last time. We may never meet again. I'll make sure you enjoy this to the fullest."
"Heh, I couldn't have asked for more. But..."
"Kevin, do you really think you can do it?"
"Of course."
Rumor: The Carving Knife[ | ]
- Last updated: 2022-05-18
- Requirement: This Flame-Chaser's Remembrance Vessel reaches Lv.
"...Ah, yes, I do know quite a few things about him... but it's just stuff I've heard. Promise me you won't tell anyone else."
"He wouldn't stop attacking even after defeating his enemies? Come on, this kind of thing is no longer a secret, everybody knows his fighting style."
"So you want something juicy... Okay, what else... Oh, right — you know a while ago he was temporarily transferred to another base, and a friend of mine was assigned to help him move. And guess what — half of his luggage was filled with all kinds of stuffed animals! Can you believe that? I mean, that man is like a brutal beast, who'd have thought..."
"Hey! Don't say that, there's nothing wrong with boys playing with stuffed animals!"
"But... Elvin, are you sure this is true? I think I've heard another version of this story."
"Oh, you mean the one about the wooden figures, right? Someone found a lot of small figures carved out of wooden blocks in his room... and the faces of the figures were kinda messy, guess sculpting isn't really his thing. Which makes sense though — for someone who spent most of his time on the battlefield killing, it's normal to be bad at this kind of thing."
"So... this version of the story also came from you? Which one is true?"
"Well... both are true. It's normal for people to change hobbies, right? Here, check this out — this carving knife is evidence. My friend found it when he was helping him move... Hey! What are you doing? Give it back! Nuwa? Nuwa!"
"Get back here!!!"
Research Report[ | ]
- Last updated: 2022-05-18
- Requirement: This Flame-Chaser's Remembrance Vessel reaches Lv.
"Er... what do you think, Dr. Mobius?
Interesting... So that wasn't an accident, I knew it... Get two more MANTIS in the chamber."
"No... it's too dangerous, Dr. Mobius! That incident already cost us too many comrades, now we..."
"Don't be a baby. I'll be responsible for any consequences."
"That's what you said last time, and the one who ended up being demoted was..."
"Ugh... get off my back! Fine, I'll do it myself."
"Doctor?!"
...
"I don't believe for a second that anyone would 'inherently' possess such unimaginable power, but even I can't find any traces of modification... Who exactly did this?"
"I'll get to the bottom of this... I'll find you..."
"Wait, could it be... Dr. MEI, my dear friend, do you have some secrets that you kept from me?"
Medical Malpractice[ | ]
- Last updated: 2022-05-18
- Requirement: This Flame-Chaser's Remembrance Vessel reaches Lv.
"...Stop it, Doctor. The surgery will not succeed. It's meaningless to prolong his suffering."
"It isn't over yet, keep transfusing blood, I'll assume full responsibility. Did you see... the glint in his eyes? Have you seen it under any circumstances? This is what he wants. I promised him and I'm a woman of my word."
"But Doctor... even if he could make it, his sanity will be destroyed by you. Have you forgotten what he had done? You're creating a Herrscher-level monster... The security here doesn't stand a chance against him, we'll all die!"
"Don't fret, continue."
A man in the shadows spoke, his voice a chilling sleet. An outlandish greatsword rested on his lap.
"Only one will die today."
...
"Dr. Mobius, perhaps you've perceived the glint in his eyes wrongly. But it's too late..."
Heartsbane[ | ]
- Last updated: 2022-05-18
- Requirement: This Flame-Chaser's Remembrance Vessel reaches Lv. 8
Weakness.
- He could no longer feel, but it did not worry him in the least.
To borrow from the woman he detested from the bottom of his heart... it was the Fatigue of the Hierophant, a sense of loss one felt after tasting the limits.
Everything would subside soon, and he knew it.
"Like I said. Kalpas, this side effect isn't temporary."
"Do you think this is really worth it?"
Another woman he detested babbled on.
"You should ask yourself that question, Mobius."
The man did not open his eyes, for he was still savoring the dissonance that crashed against his inners wave after wave.
- Even when he has just become a MANTIS, his body had not undergone a change so drastic that alienated himself like now.
"Mobius, what have you done to me?"
A few steps away from the improvised operating table, the green-haired girl continued with the task at hand.
- Unfortunately, no matter how hard she tried, the ELF made defunct by the Herrscher of Binding's still remained lifeless.
"What did I do? Wasn't this your own request... odd one out?"
"No wonder you're unlike Hua and the others. Merely touching the Herrscher of Binding's barrier made you collapse. You're the laugh of the base, Kalpas."
"... You want to die?"
"Alright, alright, you know you can't kill me, so don't waste your breath."
"The surgery I performed on you... was the exact opposite of the Meta-Morph surgery - in the sense that I took something from you."
"... Shut up."
"Heheh... You're the same as always, dropping the facade once you get what you want."
"Anyway, since your body was structured differently, now... you've finally become a MANTIS as a real human."
"As for the price... you shouldn't have forgotten."
"... How much time do I have left?"
"What are you talking about?"
"The time left for you to reach the battlefield before it's all over, or... to live your life with a sane mind?"
"..."
"Seems you want to learn both. Fine by me. If you keep behaving this way... you won't have to worry about neither."
"Before you could degenerate into a beast that threatens humanity... I'm certain you've already burned yourself away in Honkai."
"However, Kalpas..."
"You're the first person to continue shedding blood at any cost."
"You... are an ugly sight."
The man fell silent.
It was enough.
He sat up and covered his face with the mask again.
"Wait, one more thing."
"You set me up in our previous deal, so it's about time I stop pretending it's your hometown that interests me."
"The secrets of your body... it should be much more efficient to research them rather than to investigate them."
"Kalpas, before you leave..."
"You must give me... that unique heart of yours."
"..."
"We had a deal, remember?"
Sacrificial Offering[ | ]
- Last updated: 2022-05-18
- Requirement: This Flame-Chaser's Remembrance Vessel reaches Lv. 9
"The devil has tricked people into believing that Earth is between the Heaven above and the Hell below."
"But this is a lie."To make it to Hell, you must first pass through the whole of Heaven."
"Please stop here, Elysia, or you will fall."
"Which is to say... If we compare the whole world to a sandwich cookie..."
"Then Heaven is the cream filling, and Earth and Hell are the soda crackers sandwiching it."
"How do you like this analogy? Doesn't it aptly capture its bounty?"
"Hmm... not quite. Earth and Hell aren't the same thing... Whatever. I shouldn't overthink it."
"After all, this has nothing to do with what I'm doing next♪"
"What do you think, Kalpas?"
"..."
The first sound coming from the thick darkness was chains clashing against each other.
A man's throaty snicker followed.
"Heh... Heaven? Hell? Heheheh..."
"Will I find my enemies there?"
"Ooookay, I shouldn't have asked you."
"Aponia, let's talk it over again."
"Although there are many difficult conditions attached, the organization has agreed to release Kalpas and enlist him in the Cocoon."
"I fought really hard for this outcome... So, my darling Aponia, you'll lend me a hand, right?"
"Lying is a sin, Elysia."
"You deceived the other by saying that I had restrained him, and used it as a bargaining chip to achieve your goals."
"Well, that's the art of negotiation for you♪"
"This is actually why I came to see you. Honestly, I don't think reversing the order constitutes lying."
"..."
"I don't want to judge your standards, Elysia."
"I don't want you to take him away because I don't want his sins to contaminate you."
"He's a lamb that came to Earth from Hell, a burnt offering for the God. He's sinned strongly by fleeing to this place."
"He must not leave this prison until he has been purified."
"Uh... Aponia, you're being weird again."
"However... If you just want to keep him in this prison, we can both compromise♪"
"Use you discipline... Use that magical power to make him carry this prison."
"This is what I came to see you for."
With a smile, the girls waltzed to the man in a deliberately unwitting manner. Facing the other way, her nimble fingers tweaked out a crystalline rose, as if she needed illumination.
But that was not the case - she knew she could use it to shield Kalpas from restraint, thus fooling the discipliner.
Unfortunately... it did not work.
"Deceiving... is also sinning."
"Elysia. You don't have to go to such lengths."
"If you insist on leaving Earth for Hell, if this is indeed the path you've chosen..."
"Then I won't stop you from taking it."
"Take him with you, Elysia. And... never let him come back."
"Huh? But... you haven't..."
"I knew you'd return to the deep end for that."
"So I had already restrained him with my Discipline."
"..."
"Wow, that never occurred to me, Aponia."
"Guess we can think alike after all♪"
Deputy[ | ]
- Last updated: 2022-05-18
- Requirement: This Flame-Chaser's Remembrance Vessel reaches Lv. 10
"Kalpas, only if he was an obedient as you once were."
"How many times has he broken out of prison so far? Forty? Or even fifty?"
"..."
"How about it, Kalpas? Want me to find out who's behind him for you?"
"There's... quite a few that want you out of the picture, but it shouldn't take long to go over them♪"
"No need, I already know who it is."
"Huh? You do? Wait... Kalpas, have you..."
"He's still alive."
"Whew... that's a relief."
"If this is the worst comeback he can make, I'll turn a blind eye to him for now♪"
"..."
"Say, Kalpas, there must be a reason other than paying the prisoner a visit for you to call me over."
"..."
"No, I want him to join the Cocoon... as my adjutant."
"... What?"
"Kalpas, have you lost your mind? Every time he's jailed, it's for attempting to assassinate you, and it's been this many times."
"..."
The man tapped on his mask a few times, as if searching for a suitable answer.
He finally found one that barely convinced himself.
"I think it'd be fun."
"..."
"Kalpas, I don't mind you talking like me, but can't you start somewhere that's cuter and more harmless?"
"..."
"Fine, fine... Not many people apply for your adjutant. If he still refuses to give up assassinating you, maybe... he'll hold that position for a longer time."
"After all... You're the same kind of people. Persistent, but don't know what for."
"..."
"Hey, don't take that personally, it was just a joke."
"But you're technically right. If he were to become your adjutant... Heehee, I can imagine the excitement it'd create♪"
"One second he's reporting to you with documents in his hands, and the next second he draws a dagger from nowhere to stab you in the chest..."
"Or when he makes your tea, he always takes the opportunity to test which poison is the most undetectable to add..."
"Or... Heehee, Kalpas, you'll live the exciting life you've dreamed of."
"I never read documents, Elysia."
"Aww... That was just an example, don't take it so literally."
"But then again... how do you plan to persuade the organization into releasing him?"
"To be honest, this... uh... is he called Emile? He's too weak to join the Cocoon."
"But since you're bent on doing it, I believe you've found a way to persuade them, right?"
"..."
The man started at the pink-haired girl before him in silence, as if the answer was written on her face.
The two started at each other, until... the girl felt something click.
"Hey, no way, Kalpas..."
"Don't tell me this is why... you asked me to come with you?"
Parting Gift[ | ]
- Last updated: 2022-05-18
- Requirement: This Flame-Chaser's Remembrance Vessel reaches Lv. 11
"...Pretty tasteless for a final gift."
"Really... Because it's more important that I asked Eden for this mask."
"Hmph, it's no wonder. I don't get this lady's aesthetic. The only practical thing is the top that was designed for Kevin."
"What sorta ark is this... you really want to go still?"
"... that's where my responsibility lies."
"Well go on then."
"...Kalpas, before leaving, I have a question."
"How did you... overcome the pain?"
"Is that something that still needs overcoming?"
"..."
"When I first joined MANTIS, even though I eventually learned to heal myself from trauma, the pain remained unavoidable."
"It took me a year for me to grow used to it."
"I want to know how you dealt with it?"
"I learned to love it."
The man laughed out loud.
"If there is no pain... How can I know for sure I'm still alive?"
"But... since you asked, it means that one of us will soon feel pain, right?"
The answer was clear.
Standing a few steps away behind the man was no longer the boy who came to say goodbye, but the shadow of the person that could no longer be identifiable.
And the gaze with which he looked at the man... was full of hunger. That devilish instinct once again invaded his sanity.
"Ha...hahahaha... it's still the same as last time..."
"Apart from the Honkai Beast factor, those like me can also eat it... right?"
"Alright... alright!"
"This time... I will only use half of my strength. If you really have the ability to devour me..."
"Then take me... as a parting gift."
Buddha's Memory[ | ]
Honkai Infection[ | ]
- Last updated: 2022-05-18
- Requirement: This Flame-Chaser's Remembrance Vessel reaches Lv.
His consciousness sank into endless darkness.
The ominous patterns spread throughout every inch of his skin, the rampant infection corroding every cell in his body. It was almost as if his body no longer belonged to him, as if everything that was him was being torn apart.
It was endless pain, consuming his entire consciousness.
Then, like a comet, a flash of light whizzed by, scattering the darkness. It was a warm and familiar light, bright and burning. Yet strangly, it made him want to weep.
What a lovely radiance...
Su opened his eyes, the whitewashed hospital walls and all-too-familiar smell of disinfectant bringing him swiftly back to reality. He checked his hands in a panic. The purple lines that had spread across them before he fell unconscious were completely gone. It was as if they have never existed.
"This cannot be. Honkai infection... there isn't any cure for it. Unless... Unless...!"
The one-armed man beside the bed swirled his wine flask, lifting his head up with a small smile.
"You're recovering quite well, Dr. Su. As you might have guessed, I've come up with a cure for Honkai Infection."
"Professor?! Then... why haven't you given it to others? Why watch so many people die?"
"The answer is simple. It's too expensive."
"Expensive? Peoples' lives are priceless!"
The one-armed man's smile vanished. He lowered his head, fingers tapping the flask.
"Let me tell you how this medication is made. This antibody-drug comes from a serum made from the bodies of the infected. Statistically speaking, we need the bodies of around a thousand Honkai Infection patients to produce the serum needed to save one person."
"One of the people who provided the serum that cured you is someone very important to you."
The man paused and did not continue, but Su had already guessed the answer.
"Senior...!"
The man nodded and turned to look outside the window. His voice was hushed now.
"Chief Physician Fall donated his body to the MOTHs. He persisted for a long time after being infected, and so the antibodies within his body were far greater in number than those of most people. It was thanks to him that we were able to finish this vial of serum. [sic]
"I think he'll continue to watch over you, even from the hereafter."
The man turned again to look Su in the eyes, his expression calm but stern.
"There are no miracles in this world, and magic does not exist. There are only countless people whose lives were taken by Honkai Infection, and doctors who have trodden upon their corpses on the path to progress."
"Dr. Su, those precious antibodies flow through your veins now. The dreams of those thousand who died, which would never come to fruition, now rest on your shoulders."
"Do not grieve. Do not sigh. Stand up and fight against Honkai and save thousands, tens of thousands of people."
Su gripped the bed's railings until the whites of his knuckles shows. The churning agony in his heart threatened to drown him, but he knew that the man was correct. There was no time for him to waste wallowing in grief.
After some time, he finally gritted his teeth and raised his head. The man gave him a small smile before extending his sole remaining arm. "Your application has been accepted, Dr. Su."
"Welcome to the MOTHs."
It[ | ]
- Last updated: 2022-05-18
- Requirement: This Flame-Chaser's Remembrance Vessel reaches Lv.
"Observer 27 is ready. When the Observation Hub is activated, I will release the Cognition Cage and attempt to enter 'its' dreamscape and locate 'it.'"
"The Observation Hub will pull my consciousness back before memetic pollution can set in... Professor?"
Su looked at the one-armed man outside the Refining Cabin, somewhat troubled. This was his teacher and also the founder of the 5th Science Department and a veteran scientist of this organization.
The one-armed man with countless titles under his belt lowered his head and swirled the wine canteen in his hand, self-derision and sorrow plain on his face.
"...I really am becoming more of a fool the older I get. Can't believe I let Mobius turn my own student into a MANTIS... and now I'm sending him straight into hell with my own hands."
"Su. If you do come back, I'll treat you to a drink."
"Professor, I chose this myself."
Su did his best to make a relaxed expression, before waving a hand at this teacher and sending his consciousness diving into the depths.
In this dream world, Su cut through illusions, broke free from bonds, and at last, he found 'it.'
—But when he opened his eyes again, he was greeted by a bloodstained canteen and the frozen ground.
An unexpected betrayal and attack had fatally wounded the one-armed man, but this obstinate gentleman still had enough strength at his life's ebbing to reactivate the Observation Hub.
It was thanks to this that Su had been able to return to the present, and the MOTHs could now locate and capture "it." In the present, now free from memetic pollution, the MOTHs could at last call it by its proper name — the 8th Herrscher.
But that person would never see all this.
Su sat paralyzed on the ground, looking at the now-cold wine canteen in his hand. He recalled the days and nights he had spent looking for a cure for those afflicted with Honkai Infection. He recalled his joy when his teacher invited him to join the MOTHs and research the Honkai Infection together.
But Su, at last, realized that this was an incurable disease, for Honkai would never vanish.
Honkai, the Herrschers, once such foreign terms... Now, they were the devouring scrouge of this era's civilizations.
"Drinking isn't a particularly healthy habit."
A familiar voice rang out, and the canteen was plucked from his hands.
Su raised his head, and he beheld a cold expression that he had never before seen on his old friend's face.
"We haven't much time to be depressed. 'They' will continue to appear and threaten our civilization."
"Kevin..."
"Su, MEI hopes that you can replace Professor Speirs as the head of the Fifth Science Department and head to MOTH headquarters to continue your previous research."
"I'm... going to replace... my teacher?"
"If you don't want his sacrifice to be in vain, stand up and continue the fight."
"Humanity will defeat the Honkai... no matter what the cost might be."
Su opened his eyes wide and looked at his friend, whom he had not seen in five years. He wanted to ask questions... But he realized that he already knew the answers.
And so, he said nothing in the end. He simply took up the slightly warped wine canteen, before following Kevin outside.
Narrow Gate[ | ]
- Last updated: 2022-05-18
- Requirement: This Flame-Chaser's Remembrance Vessel reaches Lv.
He could not see anything. Say anything. Do anything.
Was this death? Could something like that exist for him? Perhaps no one would believe that before this.
Only one voice pierced this dead silence. One he did not wish to answer.
"Kalpas? Can you hear me?"
"It's me... Su. Due to the 11th Herrscher's influence, no reconnaissance drones can reach any of you... So I had no choice but to link up with your consciousness without prior permission."
"It seems like the situation is unbelievably dire, considering that even you have been pushed to this point."
His communicator had been lost some time prior. Clearly, this voice was directly speaking into his mind.
"But you must return to the battle. Kevin needs your help. It can only be you. Must be you."
"I can help you move again, just like I did by accident during that mission. However... I need your consent. Kalpas, lend me your body."
Consent... Did he really have a choice, though?
After a moment, the masked man would burst through the earth and slaughter all the Honkai Beasts in his path. Yet those who knew him well enough would know that he fought differently from usual.
At this time, in the light blue sea of his consciousness, a different, thinner man was directing his every move.
"Such a vast sea of consciousness... Kalpas, you're a more profound person than most people think."
"...Wait. What is that?"
A narrow door hovered amidst the windless ocean, and the light that shone through its crevices filled the man with an unknowable fear.
"He has been suppressing himself all this time? ...He has a different power that he has never used. Why?"
Now, this man was not driven by his curiosity by any means, but this power might yet give them a chance of survival. After pondering for a time, he finally opened that door.
"This is—!? But how!?"
The Plan[ | ]
- Last updated: 2022-05-18
- Requirement: This Flame-Chaser's Remembrance Vessel reaches Lv.
"Project Stigma?"
It was likely the tone of surprise in his voice that drew Dr. MEI's attention from behind the screen. The dim light reflected in her glasses rendered her expression unreadable.
"Yes. We must prepare for the worst before our decisive battle with the Final Herrscher. If we lose, we retreat to the shelters until the next civilization sprouts."
"Every Pioneer will take charge of a different project to exhaust all possibilities. This is the last resistance our civilization can manage."
"Could this Project Stigma be..."
"Yes, it's the project I'm assigning to you. It agrees with your research field, so I believe you're the best candidate."
"But according to its forecasts, we'll sacrifice far more people than we can save..."
"I know, Su. This is the worst kind of project, so it's strictly a last resort."
"..."
"I know your conscience as a doctor disapproves of this project. Forcing you to execute it is essentially torturing..."
He shook his head and let out a sigh. There was a brief silence, followed by the crinkling of the papers.
"...I understand. I'll do it."
"After all... we have no other choice."
Friends[ | ]
- Last updated: 2022-05-18
- Requirement: This Flame-Chaser's Remembrance Vessel reaches Lv.
"Kevin, what's going on!?"
He dashed into his friend's room without knocking. His friend only put down his greatsword and looked at him in contrasting calmness.
"Su."
"Kevin, Project Stigma was supposed to be entrusted to me, not you. Why?"
"I volunteered."
"Project Stigma... is a research led by MEI and Mobius, and the cruelest and the most destructive of all projects."
"Though it coincides with your research field, but in this sense... it's the least compatible with you."
"But it's also the same for you! You always blame yourself for irreparable sacrifices and shoulder everything alone..."
"I know it's tormenting you. You don't want the sacrifices to happen either."
"Even so, I must go on."
"I've chosen this path. There's on reason for you to let your heart die as well."
"This path only needs one to walk it."
He stared at his friend's eyes blankly. Beneath those calm eyes, a strange emotion that stuck him as resolute and sorrowful rippled.
He saw a shadow too familiar in his eyes. His heart shuddered.
"...No. I won't let you do it alone."
"MEI has assigned a new project to me — Project: VALUKA. I'll observe parallel universes to find solutions."
"If I can find the solution through such means, you won't need to implement Project Stigma. It's the last resort, not a requisite."
"I won't allow you to do something so cruel. I'll stay with you till the end."
His friend looked up at him in astonishment, and he looked back firmly. A moment later, his friend blinked, looked away, and whispered his thanks. His voice, however, sounded warmer.
"..."
"Thank you, Su."
"Thank you."
Tomorrow and Yesterday[ | ]
- Last updated: 2022-05-18
- Requirement: This Flame-Chaser's Remembrance Vessel reaches Lv.
"Kevin... why..."
He couldn't believe what he saw.
He couldn't believe his close friend would pierce his chest with the blazing greatsword.
He couldn't believe despite having done everything he could, he still didn't manage to dodge the blade.
"..."
His friend clenched the greatsword and said nothing.
"You still won't answer me, Kevin?"
Kevin, Judgement of Shamash, and the shrouding flames... the illusion dispersed.
"Maybe... the one who won't answer is me."
A dead leaf drifted away from his palm and perished before reaching the ground.
Sumeru has been restored.
"Ah, never mind..."
As he sighed heavily, a lance of black and white formed in his hand.
"Since I made a promise to Dr. MEI, and I foresaw the possibility..."
Another leaf fell down and millions of light dots converged to form the image of his close friend.
"I have to find a way to stop you, Kevin."
"Even though..."
"Are you going to stop me, Su?"
"...!"
The voice sounded young, warm, and friendly.
The voice in his memory.
His eyes widened, which almost never happened.
Before him, the Kevin in the school uniform was standing there, with a smile as warm as sunshine.
Kevin wasn't holding the destructive greatsword, or carrying the daunting responsibilities on his shoulders.
"If you're going to stop me, Su..."
"Just say it. We..."
The illusion's words stopped abruptly.
He waved his hand and the illusion vanished.
The illusion wasn't created by him.
He knew his mind was in disarray, but he had no idea what started it.
He had witnessed the rise and fall of numerous worlds through Cosmic Juggernaut, and "disarray" was an oversimplified description.
His knowledge had gone beyond the dimensions of mountains and oceans, but... why would it still bother him?
Rumor: Dharmakāya[ | ]
- Last updated: 2022-05-18
- Requirement: This Flame-Chaser's Remembrance Vessel reaches Lv.
"Elvin, do you know why Dr. Su joined the MOTHs?"
"Huh? Why don't you ask your teacher?"
"I think she's pretty close with Dr. Su?"
"He-he, you're the most well-informed one in the base."
"Besides, you know Fuxi and I rarely get to see Dr. Mobius. Without Klein teaching us patiently, Dr. Mobius would have expelled us long ago."
"If I go and ask Dr. Mobius directly and it upsets her... Elvin, maybe you'd see me behind the experiment pod tomorrow."
"Alright, you're just being dramatic..."
"But there's a reason why I can't ask Dr. Mobius."
"Yes, Dr. Su and she are work partners, but I feel like their relationship is kind of... delicate."
"How do I put it, Dr. Su is a nice person, but when Dr. Mobius is around, there is huge tension in the room..."
"So... you'd better ask Dr. Mobius yourself. No one knows what's on her mind."
"But it is kind of weird."
"I remember, when Dr. Su first joined the MOTHs, he respected Dr. Mobius a lot and they were often seen together sharing ideas."
"And then..."
"Then what? Elvin, come on, don't leave me hanging in the air!"
"Oh, I remember now, things changed between them after the 8th Herrscher, but I don't think they are as bad as you said. I can't say for sure. After all, I don't get to see them together a lot."
"The 8th Herrscher... seems Dr. Su played a key part in solving the incident?"
"Yeah, without him, maybe there wouldn't be the MOTHs anymore."
"At the time, he just joined the MOTHs and his Meta-Morph surgery happened at a clutch moment... Fortunately, it worked out just fine."
"Ah, right, it seems to be just Dr. Mobius who performed the surgery for him."
"Huh? Was it her?"
"Maybe... something happened during the surgery that made them enemies?"
"I don't know about that. Meta-Morph surgeries and MANTIS soldiers are way above my pay grade."
"Yeah... indeed. Even in the lab, Dr. Mobius rarely speaks of anything about Meta-Morph surgeries."
"So I guess that's the case then."
"Even without knowing the details, people know the surgery can't be a good thing."
"The changes on the MANTIS soldiers... if they get more noticeable, people would even fear them more."
"After all, it came from research on Honkai Beasts."
"It's natural to be afraid. But personally, I find Sakura's ears pretty adorable. A lot better than the horrible Honkai Beasts."
"These Honkai Beasts are so frightening."
"Eh... not all of them, I guess. I saw at least one exception."
"Exception?"
"Right before Dr. Su took the surgery, I took a sneak peek into the prep room."
"I didn't even realize what it was at the beginning - golden feathers, green tail plumes, and soft glow all over... it looked like a beautiful bird."
"Later, it took me a lot of asking round to know it was born together with the 8th Herrscher. A unique Honkai Beast."
"It uses Honkai energy like a neural toxin to attack human brains. It can't hurt anything other than humans, but it's just as dangerous."
"Oh, right... I remember the MOTHs rated and named it like this..."
"Emperor-class Honkai Beast, Mahāmāyūrī."
Sanctuary in the Shadow[ | ]
- Last updated: 2022-05-18
- Requirement: This Flame-Chaser's Remembrance Vessel reaches Lv.
"Sounds like you aren't getting along."
"..."
"Ah, right, Sakura, Kalpas... they prefer to work alone."
"Teaming up with them must be hard for you, Su."
The woman raised the golden goblet and shook the amber-colored wine within.
"Better not dwell on it. Want a sip?"
"I don't drink, Eden."
"Ah, I almost forgot. But you always take that empty flash with you."
"Believe me, Su, for the mission this time, alcohol can be your friend."
"Especially in such an uncomfortable place."
Surrounding them was nothing but boundless darkness, and the lamp over their heads was the only source of light.
In the overwhelming darkness, the light seemed pale and weak.
"I've been meaning to ask this, Eden."
"The mission brief says it's just a regular recon mission, and it's weird that it requires three MANTIS soldiers."
"I believe the real purpose is to enhance our teamwork in the new squad of three."
"But before the mission starts, we were asked to stand by at the deep end. What are we waiting for?"
"The answer is simple, Su, and you've said it yourself. We're building a team of three."
"..."
"That's why I can't jump to conclusions."
"The mission shouldn't be hard, but before meeting our new teammate, you've drunk a few cups to calm yourself down, which is untypical of you at all."
"Hmm, it's indeed untypical of me."
"But Su, compared to the usual you, you also seem different today."
"Different?"
Su suddenly realized something.
He seemed to feel a much stronger urge of curiosity and thirst for knowledge than usual.
Clearly, he was under psychic influence.
But could this happen on a psychic MANTIS?
Su didn't realize the usual thirst for knowledge...
was a natural reaction of humans before witnessing something divine.
Rhythmic footsteps approached them from the darkness along with crisp clanks of shackles.
Su finally remembered the myths about the Deep End and the one who stood out the most there.
"You're Aponia?"
"Hmm, that's me."
A soft female voiced answered.
Meanwhile, a sublime and heavenly tune began to sound in Su and Eden's heads.
It was gentle and soothing, but the two fought it with all their spiritual strength.
"Sorry, Su. I think our mission is not about teamwork."
"Maybe... the more important thing is to evaluate the possibility of her joining the fight."
Bodhi: Eyes Open[ | ]
- Last updated: 2022-05-18
- Requirement: This Flame-Chaser's Remembrance Vessel reaches Lv. 10
The situation at hand couldn't afford him any hesitation.
The dark green serpent still held its head high in the shadow, and he was badly wounded.
Not far away near the lab entrance, Hua was lying on the ground unconscious.
If left unchecked, the serpent would claim many more lives.
He had to stop it right there no matter the cost... Su told himself that.
"Hahaha..."
The serpent's laughter was harsh and cold.
That was Mobius's voice, but without her consciousness.
What was left was a mindless Honkai Beast following the natural instinct to devour everything in its sight.
The Karma Wheels domain was still effective, and to stop Mobius, he had to delve deeper into her spiritual space and connect to her unconscious mind.
He had to fully remove the shackles on Mahāmāyūrī - what he had previously been trying to hard to keep, and he knew the risk it involved.
But the situation didn't give him any choice.
Su took a deep breath and closed his eyes.
...
...
...
His mind kept falling in the bottomless abyss. The infinite loop rendered time ineffective.
Then he saw.
Before his eyes was a swamp in dense smoke, and at the center of the swamp stood a dead tree, where Mobius was surrounded by twisted branches.
"This is Mobius's unconscious mind?"
In the white lab coat, Mobius looked much older than in reality and the strange patterns on her arms were not to be found. Somehow, Su believed this was the human Mobius before receiving the surgery, though he had never seen her before the surgery.
Su threw himself into the swamp and struggled to move forward as an ocean of memory pieces, screeches, and wails flooded into his head through the black mud in contact. Prying into someone else's mind was never his intention, and it was one of his personal principles not to invade any consciousness without consent, despite being laughed at by Mobius over and over again.
...
...
...
Su finally approached the dead tree, and the black mud was about to drown him.
He labored to lift his arm and got hold of a corner of Mobius's dress...
At that moment, a familiar short-haired figure emerged in his mind.
"...Klein? Mobius, I knew you..."
Of course, at the root of the dead tree was the most cherished thing in her heart.
Darkness came from every side, shrouding, devouring, and shredding him.
"I have to stop her here... I have to suppress Mobius before my strength runs out... I must find a way..."
*snap*
The sound of a thread torn apart was deafening in Su's ears.
Yeah, for a MANTIS, it was the easiest and most natural step to make.
So easy that he had to suppress it with all his reason and human side. So easy that... with the tiniest slip, he would involuntarily reach out his hand for that power.
And take the forbidden step.
Towards Active Honkai Reaction.
After that, he sank into the swamp.
His last memory was the scream of the serpent, the jade feathers, and a clear bird chirp.
Enlightenment[ | ]
- Last updated: 2022-05-18
- Requirement: This Flame-Chaser's Remembrance Vessel reaches Lv. 11
Su is running.
His mission has been completed, but he does not intend to evacuate.
Just 10 minutes ago, he reported the location of the 8th Herrscher to his companions.
And now, he is rushing to the coordinates he sent to find her before the other guardians.
... and then end things by his own hands.
Su's hands are shaking.
He holds a well-used flask, its outside rubbed smooth from repeated use.
He clutches it tightly, but couldn't make it any warmer.
If only he'd discovered the Herrscher's location earlier.
If only he could've detected his infected comrades in advance.
If only the teacher could've evacuated in time, instead of using the last ounce of strength the Observation Hub for him.
If only...
But now all the hypotheticals were fading among the scarlet before his eyes.
His blood became restless, now, almost bursting through his veins. There was a voice in his heart screaming repeatedly.
Yes!
Kill!
Kill her!
Kill the Herrscher!
Kill the non-human who destroyed the world.
Terror is like the whistle of death, shrill like the songs of birds.
Su realized that it was his own thoughts gradually escaping his control, rushing towards the abyss of slaughter.
But he isn't going to get involved now.
If this can afford some power, why stop it?
—If this can afford some vengeance, why get in the way?
The mind is delusional, and the heart is obstructed.
Only the thought of killing was able to bring him here. The Herrscher was there.
... but bound by invisible forces, unable to resist, unable to escape.
Suddenly, a wave of peace and tranquility bloomed from the heart.
Like the first kneel of an ancient bell; like the first verse of the birth of language, his killing intent was replaced by all kinds of tranquility.
He saw the invisible chains emerging from the light, sweeping everything away, along with him and the Herrscher—
Along with the holy hymn sounding in the distance.
Sakura's Memory[ | ]
Yaksha[ | ]
- Last updated: 2022-05-18
- Requirement: This Flame-Chaser's Remembrance Vessel reaches Lv.
"Yes... the length and frequency of dreams are both increasing... Sometimes I can't even tell them apart from reality."
"Dr. Mobius, I know that surgery changed me forever, but... what did it change?"
"Rest assured that they're normal postoperative complications. You should stop worrying."
"But Sakura... can you tell me what you've dreamed of in detail?"
The snake-eyed girl was still adapting to her body. She tried straightening her back and arm to reach the lab apparatuses placed above her, but was still dozens of centimeters short.
"I dreamed of... growing wings of brightly colored feathers, at times red and at times yellow."
"I soared the sky with the wings, as if I'd never fall..."
"But in a matter of seconds, my legs had sunk into a mire, and the surroundings became as thick as a mire... even the light as well."
"I couldn't climb out of the mire... soon I felt hungry."
"I scooped something out and gnawed it mindlessly... But when I came to my senses... I found I was eating the person closest to me."
"..."
"Dr. Mobius, why did I dream of this?"
"Huh? Oh... it's a beautiful scene."
She was not listening.
Her mind was on the test tube high up on the shelf. I was bubbling — a sign that it could disrupt the entire experiment.
"Tsk, what a drag... Sakura, can you help me out?"
"..."
Sakura sighed and stepped forward. She wrapped her arms around the girl's waist and lifted her up.
"Finally got it... Good thing it's still usable."
"Sakura, you can put me down."
"..."
"Sakura? Did you hear me? Put me down."
"... I'm sorry, Doctor. My mind wandered off again."
Sakura placed the girl back on her chair. She seemed to be waiting for an answer.
"I've told you before. They're perfectly normal postoperative complications."
"You woke up on your own and are talking to me... which means you're fine."
"Rest easy, I know what you're anxious about. You're fortunate enough to not have turned into something like Kevin or me."
"..."
"Then... I'll excuse myself, Dr. Mobius. Goodbye."
With her head lolling, Sakura edged toward the lab gate.
When she was about to cross the gate, she stopped.
"I know these dreams belong to its will... but I won't turn into it, turn into a monster because of them... right?"
"It depends on you, Sakura."
"To me, you're always human."
"But to many others... we're already monsters."
"..."
She did not reply or ask another question.
She left. The sound of her footsteps faded away.
"We were interrupted. Please bear with me."
The snake-eyed girl held onto the edge of the workstation while inching toward the enormous locker in the corner. She then opened it nonchalantly.
The invading light made the person curling inside squint.
Her sweat-soaked hair was glued to her forehead and neck... She was like a frightened animal, trembling and shrinking in the corner.
"Heheh... No need to be so scared..."
"It'll be over soon."
A Deal[ | ]
- Last updated: 2022-05-18
- Requirement: This Flame-Chaser's Remembrance Vessel reaches Lv.
The episode had ended a while before Kevin escorted Dr. MEI there.
On the way, her eyes remained shut as Kevin took her by the hand to guide her. This was one of the few things Kevin insisted on.
He believed that what was waiting in store for him and MEI would inevitably leave them bitter and ruthless.
Though he could do nothing about it... he still hoped that day would not arrive too soon.
That was the reason Kevin demanded that MEI keep her eyes closed no matter what as they were traversing the red corridor.
It was a long walk to their destination.
A hidden cell.
Luckily, its inhabitant was very patient. She did not dislike waiting, for she was used to it.
The cell door was unlocked and pushed open easily.
"....."
"Kevin, can you leave us for a minute?"
Kevin did not answer.
He observed the pink-haired girl before him - her eyes, her subtle head movements, and... the sheathed blade on her waist.
Kevin shook his head. He refused to go.
Even if she did hold up her end of the bargain, he still found the blade-like girl to be extremely dangerous... and untrustworthy.
"...Okay."
MEI closed her eyes, sighed, and then looked at the imprisoned girl.
"I'm sorry for making you wait, Ms. Sakura."
"..."" [sic]
"I did what that man told me."
"Now it's your turn to fulfill the agreement."
"..."
"I've erased all traces related to you."
"Now, only Kevin and I were by the lake that night... and Kevin's injuries... were caused by a mere accident."
"..."
"You don't seem to be lying."
"Then we're done here. Farewell."
The girl brushed past them on her way out of the cell.
"Sakura... I hope you will consider what I told you."
The girl stopped.
"Sakura, you should know there's only so much an individual can do."
"You can protect her now, but when Honkai befalls us again... will you be able to do the same?"
"..."
"Sakura, I hope you will join the MOTHs..."
A split second.
In a split second, Sakura had pressed her blade against Dr. MEI's throat, and Kevin was holding his pistol against Sakura's forehead.
"You shouldn't know about her."
"Sakura, please calm down. This is not coercion, but realistic thinking."
"Your appearance made me realize that what we're up against isn't just Honkai."
"We... need someone like you."
"..."
"And you... Sakura, you know as well as I do that times have changed."
"Nowadays you cannot protect anything alone and with only a blade."
"..."
"If you still want to leave, go now. No one will stop you."
"But no one will ever speak of this deal to you again." " [sic]
"..."
"A disaster like that... What you call Honkai... will happen again?"
"Yes."
"And more than once."
"..."
"..."
"..."
The girl closed her eyes.
They heard a sigh, then a blade sliding into its scabbard.
"Sakura..."
"Welcome to the MOTHs."
Forget-Me-Not[ | ]
- Last updated: 2022-05-18
- Requirement: This Flame-Chaser's Remembrance Vessel reaches Lv.
"When people arrive on the scene, this is what they see.
The deceased would have fallen on their backs, crimson, still-fresh blood blooming on their chests like flowers, and all around, those few blue forget-me-nots would complete the ethereal contrast.
No one knows who she is — people know only that such an assassin exists in this world. Well, really, no one even knows if she exists or not.
No one knows her motives, or what she looks like, and so they call her 'Forget-Me-Not.'
If, and I say 'if', she really exists, her sword must be super quick.
A stab and retrieval so swift and instant that even the dead do not realize that they are so... If not, how could the people she kills never have the looks of agony on their faces? I can't think of any other explanation.
As for those little blue flowers... Like you, my dear readers, I don't know why she leaves them at the scene. Is that her calling card? Or is it related to some kind of faith she has? Or is she trying to remind someone of something? I don't know.
But what I know for sure is that no one has even seen how those little blue flowers fall from her hands.
Why? This is because that flower is before my eyes now... She is standing before me right now...
Ah, what a lovely..."
—An excerpt from "Forget-Me-Not", a short literary article published in a magazine.
"Ow! Big Sis, what'd you do that for..."
"Kids shouldn't be reading this sort of thing, Rin. Isn't it time for bed?"
"But I'm not a kid anymore... Come one, Big Sis, give me that book. I was almost done reading it."
"Killing and murder... You'll have nightmares if you read too much of this stuff, Rin."
"Will not! You're always treating me like a baby."
"Well then. Who was it who couldn't sleep by herself for several days after watching a horror movie?"
"I was me... Humph! You're such a big bully, sis!"
"Alright, alright, go to sleep, Rin. It's really getting late."
"Good night."
The bedroom light went out.
"Wait a moment, Big Sis..."
She suddenly grabbed her sister's sleeve.
"Please don't go... I'm a bit scared."
"...What a I going to do with you?"
The two embrace in the darkness.
...
...
"That Forget-Me-Not... What sort of person do you think she is?"
"..."
"Didn't I tell you not to dwell on these things, Rin?"
"But I feel like I'd be too scared to sleep if I don't get it straight..."
"..."
The silver moonlight fell through the window, soft as the young woman's sigh.
"Maybe she's a normal person... just like us."
"Come on, that can't be! How can a normal person do what she does?"
"If you ask me, she must have two eyes that glow in the dark, just like a wolf!"
"Um... And she might even have four super flexible arms, and muscles bunched up like little mountains... Actually, wouldn't that be too obvious?"
"What do you think, Sis? Huh? Huh?"
"..."
"Go to sleep already, or I'm not taking you to the amusement park tomorrow."
The Clean-Up[ | ]
- Last updated: 2022-05-18
- Requirement: This Flame-Chaser's Remembrance Vessel reaches Lv.
Could "cleanup" occur in complete silence?
Perhaps not. But if one's footsteps were quiet enough that others could barely notice... We might actually think it possible, right?
The corridor was long, silent, gloomy, thick.
They fell lightly, and so was their blood shed like falling flowers.
Most of them have never committed a crime in their life.
In other words, they were "innocent."
Though they were unfortunate enough to bear the burden of sin and calamity, they were still "innocents".
The young woman knew this, of course.
And so, she tried to give them peace even as she dealt them death.
Even before their minds could comprehend this fresh agony, every last ounce of their souls would have slipped away through the tiniest of wounds.
Of course, this was no just act. Still, Cocoon existed for this very purpose. They weighed the pros and cons, they made decisions. They did not ask questions of right and wrong.
At last, she reached the room at the end of the corridor.
But there was no one there.
The room was quiet, empty, dark.
The wind blew through the windows along with the moonlight, caressing the blade in the young woman's hand.
—The mission was over, it seemed.
So the young woman thought.
She has taken on a new karma, but the incurable disease had been culled right here.
Out of habit, she left a blue flower behind, and prepared to leave.
"Why?"
The young woman started.
A man sat cross-legged in the shadow of the room.
He wore a crudely-made mask, its visage one of warped rage.
Was he already here? How did I not notice him?
The young woman thought. The man before her did not feel like a human at all.
If she had to put her finger on it... He was more like some sort of wild beast waiting in ambush. Ferocious, angry, full of killing intent, but also silent.
"This voice... It's you? My blade did not miss its mark. How are you still breathing?"
"I'm asking the questions here, woman."
"..."
"They were infected with Honkai. They are the only source of infection in this area."
"This is the only way more people can live."
"..."
"Those people outside. Who were they to you?"
The man did not reply.
He turned towards the window, where the storm poured down.
Even the heavens seemed all too eager to wash a certain something away.
A bolt of lightning illuminated his mask and her blade.
At this moment, no one could have known.
None could have guessed that in 28 seconds, this building would be reduced to useless debris by the fight between the two people present.
" [sic]Cleanups" of this kind could certainly begin in silence, of course.
But they would never end in it.
The Origin[ | ]
- Last updated: 2022-05-18
- Requirement: This Flame-Chaser's Remembrance Vessel reaches Lv.
"...Yes, I've entered the area without any issues. No anomaly detected."
"What do you see there?"
"..."
"Forget it, I shouldn't have asked you to describe it. Turn on the streaming device so I can see it."
"It's already on. This place is pitch black, even I... can only make out the shape of some objects."
"...Dr. Mobius, what are my objectives?"
"To be honest, given the current situation... I don't want to push forward blindly."
"We've been over this, Sakura."
"Your objective is to investigate the post-Honkai scene and find out why that Herrscher vanished."
"...Please tell me the truth, Dr. Mobius."
"When the Cocoon was about to be dismissed, you initiated the protocol to command me to carry out this mission with vague objectives... It can't be just to investigate a disaster that happened so long ago."
"..."
"Well, Sakura... your biggest shortcoming is being too sharp for your own good. I admit I didn't tell you the whole story... but I didn't lie either."
"I really just wanted to do a simple post-disaster investigation... in Kalpas' hometown."
"... What?"
"See? I knew this would happen."
"As far as I can tell from the evidence, that place... was where Kalpas first appeared in the world, much earlier than when you first met him."
"...He will be infuriated, Doctor."
"Don't worry, he told me this himself. I don't offer my services for free, and this information served as my payment."
"Right, let's stop wasting time. Keep going."
...
The emergency light was turned on, its pale light slowly revealing her surroundings.
Somehow, it seemed that the light hesitated to illuminate the darkness, as if it were afraid of being swallowed.
"Good, good... Let's see what is hidden in this place that Dr. MEI went out of her way to wipe off the map."
Yet what lay in sight were ruins ravaged by fire.
Covering the walls stained by smoke were strange totems that retained a portion of their original glory - they were baring their fangs and claws, seemingly ready to burst forth from the walls at any minute.
In the center of the hall stood a totemic pillar that was even more peculiar. Some broken chains were scattered around it and others clung to the pillar like dried vines.
"Dr. Mobius, have you made a mistake?"
"This place... is not so much a hometown..."
"as a sacrificial ground."
Woes[ | ]
- Last updated: 2022-05-18
- Requirement: This Flame-Chaser's Remembrance Vessel reaches Lv.
"That's right, Sakura... You're the one of the last thirteen MANTISes, which is exactly why I'm seeing you today."
"In order to defeat the 11th Herrscher, humanity paid a heavy price. We can no longer afford to be too picky in who we select."
"Moreover, given the current state of affairs, Honkai is also evolving in response to our measures. It's hard to say whether MANTISes will be as effective against the succeeding Herrschers..."
"In that case... Dr. MEI, is our establishment still necessary?"
"Don't underestimate yourself, Sakura. You're still the most valuable fighting force of the MOTHs. There are plenty of situations only MANTISes can handle."
"And... it wasn't my idea to assemble you into a separate squad. But I thought her proposal was worth a try."
"Whose proposal?"
"It was me, of course!"
The door closed as Elysia stepped into the room.
"Is there anyone other than me who actually cares about the fate of us MANTISes? What do you think, Sakura?"
"...Elysia."
"If I remember correctly, you should be tracking the abnormal concentration of Honkai energy three thousand kilometers away."
"Geez, Sakura, I didn't know you were so interested in me. You're making me blush."
"But that stuff is unimportant compared to this proposal that might finally unite us."
"How about it, Sakura? You opting in?"
"..."
"Sorry, I'm used to..."
"Wait, don't turn me down just yet!"
She leaned close to Sakura's ear, her cheery voice turning to a stream of whispers.
"Sakura... The situation is urgent so I won't repeat what I say next. You must put on a poker face, and don't show any surprise."
"There is a reason I traveled those three thousand kilometers. The source of the Honkai energy is the next Herrscher, but she wasn't there."
"Currently, only I know the truth of this matter, so we still have a chance. The next Herrscher, she..."
"..."
"...she's your sister."
...
...
...
Sakura showed no signs of astonishment.
She did not even react to those words. She was only able to nod her head numbly to keep the conversation going.
She sat there in a daze, her mind at once frantic and totally paralyzed... until a voice pulled her back to reality.
"Thirteen... is such an unlucky number."
"We're all going to end up dead, aren't we?"
She jerked her head up to see who spoke, but there as no one there.
No Savior[ | ]
- Last updated: 2022-05-18
- Requirement: This Flame-Chaser's Remembrance Vessel reaches Lv.
"Ninety-four... ninety-five... ninety-six... good, not one missing."
After confirming that no one was hurt by the collapse of the building, Sakura heaved a sigh of relief. Exhausted, she let herself fall to the ground from roughly four stories up.
As she lay there, she saw a small patch of sky, gently illuminated by the sunset's afterglow. The forest had been flattened, the river ran dry, and in the end times, only the sky remained beautiful.
The faces of children popped into her field of vision briefly. Though they had just escaped death, groups of them were bold and curious enough to come study the girl lying on the ground.
However, most of them could only stand there for a few seconds before being yanked away.
Sakura sat up, feeling a little uneasy.
Looking around, she discovered that she alone was lying in the light of a pale golden sunset, while those she had just rescued were cowering in the shadows of the ruins, children held tightly in their arms.
They looked at the girl with the horror of seeing a Honkai Beast.
Why?
The girl sheathed her blade and walked towards the survivors, in an attempt to point them in the direction of the nearest shelter.
When she took the first step, the survivors looked at her suspiciously.
When she took the second step, their expression turned to disgust.
When she took the third step, hatred showed in their eyes.
So she stopped... as their countenance had finally turned to hostility.
Why?
"Mommy, her ears are..."
The child's mouth was immediately covered.
"She's a monster."
The voice was soft and light, but her ears could pick up the slightest sound.
The girl looked at those in front of her, and then at the path that would lead her out of there. It would take no more than ten steps to reach either.
But why did her legs feel so heavy? So heavy that she could go nowehere?
...
That was in the past.
To protect humanity and her own pride, the hero who had been alienated now rested beneath the burnt earth without a tombstone of her own.
A violet crystalline flower had broken through the soil to bloom innocently by itself in these dead lands.
Two mourners stood there side by side.
He was silent, as usual. She, uncharacteristically, said nothing.
After a long while, their voice could be heard amid the howling wind and sand.
"Kevin, I recalled something... that happened a very long time ago."
"..."
"The thirteen of us never did get together in the end."
"We will return to this place one day."
"Maybe tomorrow you and I will lie underneath this ground."
"No."
The man pulled out a greatsword that had been thrust into the ground and walked away.
Where he had just been standing... his cold urge to kill had left an enduring mark.
"No matter the cost..."
"Humanity shall defeat the Honkai."
Rumor: Cocoon[ | ]
- Last updated: 2022-05-18
- Requirement: This Flame-Chaser's Remembrance Vessel reaches Lv.
"Yes, those members of the Cocoon... they were indeed killed by Kalpas. But things are not what they seem."
"At that time, there were enough MANTISes to form an army... thus depriving the Cocoon of their sole reason for existence. Dismissal... naturally ensued."
"..."
"Elvin, you don't sound like yourself today."
"Huh..."
"Fuxi... You should know the answer. Take a good look... around you."
Light splayed out. The two watched darkness retreat from this memory-ridden place on the red sofa.
But the result was disappointing—they found themselves in nothing more than an ordinary lounge.
Admittedly, some photos on the walls still struck a chord with them, reminding them of the times spent here. For some, those memories may even be their only sustenance in this revolting wasteland.
But by then they had all faded and became meaningless remains.
"Can you remember, Fuxi? In the past... this place was crowded every night."
"Everyone came here to drink, played cards, gossip... doing nothing else."
"And it was where I became the most well-informed member of the MOTHs."
"But after this battle against the 11th Herrscher... how many of them will come back alive?"
"..."
"There won't be any more rumors, Fuxi."
"There are fewer and fewer things worth talking about. Those who would ask you for rumors... are gone too."
"So... don't ask me about anything of the past."
"No, this is important, Elvin."
"The number of soldiers surviving this battle... might depend on what you say today."
"Tell me, Elvin. Those who weren't wiped out along with Cocoon... Can they be trusted?"
"That infighting involving Kalpas... You were there and you saw it, didn't you, Elvin?"
"Don't deny it. I've read your testimony after that incident. That incident... was what truly disbanded the Cocoon, right?"
"Ha..."
"No, Fuxi. That incident... did happen after the organization ordered the dissolution of the Cocoon."
"Kalpas wasn't involved at all either... at least not as an executioner. To him, it was probably more akin to a suppression. And the trial that followed... was merely an act."
"You ought to know that basically every member of the Cocoon had been imprisoned for a felony once. The missions they carried out were horrible, but they were also an escape from serving sentences."
"It's no surprise that after the order was issued... the fear of returning to confinement drove the felons to the edge."
"A few instigated the rest for their own gains, and a terrible riot broke out inside the Cocoon. That's why the organization sent Sakura to clean it up."
"..."
"Sigh, I knew it from the beginning. Trying to unite a bunch of murderers is delusional..."
"Huh? Wait! You just said the cleaner they sent... was Sakura? Impossible... Shouldn't it be Kalpas...?"
"Well... Alright, this really is the last time..."
"Again, this is just a rumor, so you must keep it to yourself."
Elvin's eyes instantly lit up. He seemed to revert to the Elvin he was.
"The clean-up job was supposedly Sakura's."
"But shortly before the dissolution happened, she was suddenly diverted to a top-secret mission. You should also remember... she hadn't appeared in the base for a long time, right?"
"Hmm... it is the case."
"So, Fuxi... why did you come to ask me about these things?"
"Why did you tell me... the number of soldiers surviving the battle depends on what I say?"
"Sigh... Didn't I tell you why already? I just wanted to confirmed whether the last Cocoon members are trustworthy, that's all."
"To be honest, I don't want anything to do with them... but it can't be helped."
"Dr. Mobius... She asked me to release... a prisoner for her."
Lost Friend[ | ]
- Last updated: 2022-05-18
- Requirement: This Flame-Chaser's Remembrance Vessel reaches Lv. 10
"How many times?"
Sakura had always abided by her training strictly. Flicking the blood off her blade before sheathing had become second nature to her.
The bitter winds that wrapped around Frozen Naraka had frozen the bloodstains into solid ice, slightly irritating her - they would impede sheathing and evoke certain unpleasant memories.
Sakura normally avoided using Frozen Naraka against humans, but a humanoid figure that could not be killed in any way clearly did not fall under that category.
"You've attempted to kill me six times. You've trashed my organization and killed me incidentally eleven times."
"I thank you for your efforts as usual."
Sakura ignored the man's words as she began to carefully remove the ice on her blade.
"I'm on a mission and my time is limited."
"If you just want to chat like last time... be laconic."
"I'm not in the mood to kill you today. Besides, I can't actually do it... It's a waste of time."
"No, please kill me again. Coming here has been such a long journey."
"My body is expendable. It's the more efficient way to repatriate me."
"..."
"Fine, I don't care... but you'd better not set up more stupid organization like this one."
"A religion that worships machinery... A mutual aid society that sees Honkai as baptism... A gang that smuggles Honkai energy weapons..."
"Every organization set up by you... had been trouble. Some of them even committed crimes against humanity."
"If you truly value efficiency... you should know that time is just as valuable to me."
"And... I no longer want to go on missions that pit me against humans."
"I'm sorry, Miss Sakura. It was never my intention to trouble you like this."
"It's just... the freedom I have at this moment is a generous gift from the creator. I must justify its existence."
"The organizations I established weren't meaningless—they were born of human desire, and also an experiment of mine."
"For most humans, absolute freedom is nothing but a heavy burden."
"Presumably they haven't realized it... the truth is they prefer to let others made choices for them."
"This is exactly why Klein, a creation unlike me, decided to continue working for Dr. Mobius."
"Sorry, I'm not interested in your lab business."
"If this is it, I'll get going."
She finally slid Frozen Naraka back into its sheath.
"Get going? No...there's no need for that."
"Miss Sakura, aren't you... already dead?"
The sand was hollowing. A blast of hot air tore the memories and Sakura to pieces.
"...Sorry, I slipped. The projection technology... is more realistic than I imagined."
On the wasteland stood over fifty Gray Serpents holding black umbrellas, their appearances identical.
"It's a pity that you weren't able to witness this moment, Miss Sakura."
"My long learning journey has come to an end. The only thing left to do is bidding your farewell."
"I conducted an experiment on myself and many humans. The result proved that groupthink is bound to go nowhere."
"Humanity forever needs an extraordinary to make the most difficult decisions for them."
"That's right, humanity needs a... leader."
All the Gray Serpents folded their umbrellas together and looked into the distance.
Two mourners stood there. They were Kevin and Elysia, two among the last twelve saviors of humanity known as Flame-Chasers.
Like the other members of the MOTHs except for Mobius, though they were aware of the Gray Serpent's existence, they had never seen him with their own eyes... or rather, them.
They bowed deeply to the distant grave in unison - they were bowing to a fallen hero, to a warrior who had killed him countless times..
To a former friend.
Hymn[ | ]
- Last updated: 2022-05-18
- Requirement: This Flame-Chaser's Remembrance Vessel reaches Lv. 11
"...This operation is classified, understood?"
The girl with the fox ears nodded. In situations like these, she needn't ask questions, she needn't speak, she needn't even exist.
But... it's rare for higher-ups to directly receive and give orders like this.
And... typically, it ends badly.
"... It's Sundown Alley, got it?"
The other person spoke again, and she nodded in turn.
She deliberately kept her movements small and her ears from wiggling too much.
"Fallen from the sky that day. The people on the ground looked up at the stars."
The girl was a little puzzled. She wondered if she's heard wrong or missed something. Why was this... prayer? Hymn? Suddenly being recited?
She didn't know whether to nod or shake her head, or maybe ask. She only knew that this hymn seemed to be a kind of faith circulated among the op of the organization.
"... Let this sentence never be read again."
A request was finally made that could be considered a mission, a request she could understand.
But... as she predicted, it was not an enjoyable task, nor an easy one. She had even said... it was one she wanted least to do.
"... Go."
She nodded again, slightly. She left the room reciting the other's words in her heart.
"..."
"The time the target was mostly infected and Sundown Alley had already fallen, which should make things easier."
After the girl left, the people in the room began to whisper.
"This will ensure the mission's success and be good for the enforcer."
"... Hopefully, she won't waste what we've made for her."
Youth's Memory[ | ]
A Moment[ | ]
- Last updated: 2022-05-18
- Requirement: This Flame-Chaser's Remembrance Vessel reaches Lv. 2
It happened in an instant.
Before the man could finish speaking, all of the other team members fled except for a frail boy.
Instead, he simply smiled. Even though the ragtag team was temporarily assembled due to extenuating circumstances, it no longer existed, and the mission had failed.
"You should run, too, Kosma. What's wrong? Scared stiff?"
"Is what you said true? Is the only point of this team to be sent to their graves?"
"I guess you could say that. Some people always feel that it is meaningless to die in the line of duty."
"I know, but it doesn't make sense for you to die alone."
The boy turned to look at the man walking away with a ruined reputation. In the past, he used to always burst out with his iconic laugh whenever he teased Kevin.
"Ato··· is this what you mean by 'duty?'"
"Depends on how you look at it."
"But when you told them everything... you killed the mission, and... you're going to get yourself killed too."
"Well said. But I don't like lying. No one should bear the responsibility of the world without knowing the truth. So, I gave them a lifeline."
"Otherwise... Kosma? Can you find any other way out for us?"
"... [sic]
"The mission won't fail. They will survive."
"You're right. You may be able to do it, but there will come a day when you can't. If you wish to persist like this, then don't forget it."
"But I suggest you look at the choice the others made today. There's nothing wrong with retreating. At least they can see their family's smiling faces again, right?"
"Well, it's time for me to get out of here. Remember, don't tell Kevin what I just said. The boy is as young as you, and he can't accept the idea of making a sacrifice. There's enough trouble from the MOTHs. Don't add fuel to the fire."
"Ato, you're wrong."
"Those people... They're not cowards... They're heroes."
"It's just that now is the time to decide who they really are."
"...?"
Just then, a flurry of footsteps quickly surrounded them. The faces of the soldiers who fled appeared again without a single person missing.
The boy stood among them with a rare smile of pride.
As far as the dispute over ideas was concerned, this was the first time he gained the upper hand in front of this man.
However, his expression froze as he heard the real reason why everyone was willing to return over the comm link.
"... This is Kevin. We've reached the location of the 5th Herrscher and... we found her body."
"We've confirmed that her death occurred before the MOTHs intervened. All teams evacuate the current area immediately. There... seems to be something far more terrifying here. Based on the energy readings, the Herrscher was..."
"...Killed instantly."
Formation[ | ]
- Last updated: 2022-05-18
- Requirement: This Flame-Chaser's Remembrance Vessel reaches Lv. 3
"Is the mission going according to plan?"
Faced with Sakura's question, Kosma subconsciously looked behind me, but there was no one there.
So, she was addressing him. He only nodded and smiled stiffly.
"... Sort of. What about you?"
"Well... Not exactly."
"Our mission ended three days ago. But during the battle, the damage caused by Kalpas now blocked the mountain path. That's our only way back···"
"So, we spent the last three days waiting for the road to be cleared."
"..."
Kosma hesitated and finally decided not to comment on Sakura's rare complaint.
Fortunately, she didn't seem to mind. Obviously, she had something more important to say.
"As far as I know, these 'three-man teams' aren't going to be as effective as anticipated. The other teams have run into trouble just like us... Maybe even worse."
"Your team is only exception."\N [sic]"Kosma, I heard you were working well with Fu Hua and Pardofelis. Got any tips?"
"..."\n [sic]"Maybe we just work well as a team. Fu Hua excels at frontal attacks, while I take enemies out from behind. If we need to seize an opportunity, we can always change roles."
"It's not just entirely working well together. We just do our respective duties."
"Well... team composition is important for MANTIS. You don't want to get in the way of each other. But..."
Sakura gently shoot her long pink ears in doubt.
"You didn't mention Pardofelis."
"..."
"Sorry, my bad. She plays an irreplaceably part."
"Integral? I'm surprised··· What's she got up her sleeve that she hasn't already shown everyone?"
"... You know, a long time ago, people used to tell time by looking at cats' eyes."
"Yeah, we have similar old wives' tales back home. What about it?"
"... It's true. She's an irreplaceably accurate alarm clock."
Rumors: Hidden[ | ]
- Last updated: 2022-05-18
- Requirement: This Flame-Chaser's Remembrance Vessel reaches Lv. 4
"...Well, Elvin, you didn't mistake someone else for him, did you?"
"That really was... Kosma himself?"
"Why? Is that a problem?"
"You said... you to shared a bunk?"
"Why? Is that a problem?"
"Even though he came back after quitting the MOTHs... even with his identity and qualifications, he shouldn't be..."
"Well, I know I'm just an ordinary private, but that's not my fault. We're the same rank now... Why are you giving me that look?"
"After all, there isn't any record of his military accomplishments. His fighting style... is one-of-a-kind."
"How can that be? At the beginning, you told me that there were only four in the MOTHs that could defeat him. [sic]
[sic]Like I said... there's no written record of his battle accomplishments... because there was never any witness."
"That being said, I saw him fight once with my own eyes. I was wounded at that time, so he didn't drive me away."
"Whenever he finds a Honkai Beast, he'll throw a stone or a coin at them from a distance."
"This is an attack in and of itself. Ordinary Honkai Beasts would be devastated by the blow. More powerful ones would be enraged and seek the source of the attack."
"As I said, he does it from a distance. So, Kosma will play his harmonica until the riled Honkai Beast arrives. I don't know why he does it. Is it to lure them or to remind others to leave?"
"Er... honestly, the sound of the harmonica is pretty harsh to the ears. I almost thought he... obtained acoustic attack powers after undergoing the Meta-Morph surgery."
"When the Honkai Beast arrives, he first makes sure that no one else will be affected, and then comes out of the shadow to kill the enemy with ease."
"So... why does he do that? It sounds so inefficient."
"I asked him, and his answer was... he didn't want anyone to see him in action."
"Have you heard of Kosma's 'true face'...? If you ever see it, you'll pity his enemies."
"In his own words..."
"I'm sure I look more like the villain in the fight..."
A Dinner for One[ | ]
- Last updated: 2022-05-18
- Requirement: This Flame-Chaser's Remembrance Vessel reaches Lv. 5
"...That's enough, Vill-V. I didn't call you here to kill it with your hands."
"Now, there are three monsters here including it, right?"
"... Mobius?"
"Oh... sure enough, how could it be here because of an 'accident'?"
"With this included, you've done everything the MOTHs prohibit, right?"
"Hehe, I'm not an exception now."
"Enough with the arrogant tone. It's no big deal. Don't tell me you enjoy being a reckless teen."
"'Vishnu should never be allowed to exist.' What a stupid prohibition."
The "Vishnu" began to move in front of them with a mechanical grinding sound.
"So... Mobius, the rumor is true after all?"
"The real power of Vishnu... is to grow endlessly by devouring other Honkai Beasts?"
"No wonder it looks so different... from when I first saw it. It's pretty much a demon now."
"It doesn't matter. You fought it before. What do you think?"
"It's completely different from before. Its current power... I don't think 'Judgement-class' does it justice anymore."
"But, Mobius, where on earth did you get it? Vishnu... should be unique, right? You've been able to breed Honkai Beasts yourself?"
[sic]Hehe... Vill-V, did I say... it was Vishnu?"
"Huh?"
"I'd feel sorry if I were you. After all... This is a companion of ours that you bullied so hard."
"Am I right... Kosma?"
Vill-V suddenly turned her head and looked at the monster. She finally realized why it never fought back just now.
"Mobius, you..."
"Sorry, I forgot to tell you. The reason why I wanted to meet you here today is because I needed a powerful researcher to bear witness to all of this..."
"And to propose to MEI together with me that Vishnu be categorized under the Vipralopa-class just like the fusion factor that she claimed to be "unique"."
With that, the eight lab doors began to slowly open. Hundreds of Honkai Beasts waited in anticipation to attack.
"Go, Kosma."
"Dinner... is served."
Good Versus Evil[ | ]
- Last updated: 2022-05-18
- Requirement: This Flame-Chaser's Remembrance Vessel reaches Lv. 6
The dark alley was quiet.
Mud, dirt, and the pungent smell of rain pervaded the alley.
This used to just be a small border town of no significance. After a multitude of unexplainable disasters, it fell into total chaos.
In this dark alley, crime was making its rounds.
A man closed in with a dagger in hand, while a woman kept running in front until she reached a dead end. With her back against the wall, she moaned like a trapped animal.
"Don't..."
"Don't blame me... It'll be over soon..."
He raised the knife and slashed downward. Darkness filled the woman's vision.
However, expected pain didn't come. Rather, the man silently fell to the ground.
"Ta-da."
She heard approaching footsteps.
A shadow slowly came near, shrouded in the dark haze of the dirty alley.
It stretched out its hand to the woman sitting on the ground.
But then a scream was heard in response.
"..."
Kosma had already grown used to all of this.
These days, he had too many of this sort of "conversation".
He left the man lying on the ground and walked away.
Suddenly, a dark figure off to the side rushed at him — a young girl.
It happened so quickly that he didn't have time to react.
The next moment, she screamed as she plunged a knife into his abdomen.
The little girl tried with all her might, then feel between him and the man. Before she lost consciousness, she gazed at him as if to imprint her enemy's face onto her mind.
Kosma knew that look.
The look of a starved wolf.
And some more hostility and hatred in her eyes.
Kosma stood in silence for some time. After a while, he finally moved.
The man obviously made the worst possible decision. But what about him? Did he make the right choice?
If he lift the knife against the weak for the sake of the weaker, can his evil deeds be forgiven?
...If he had known why the man did it, would he still have delivered a "fatal" blow to the man as he did just now?
He held the answer in his heart.
Good and evil can never be reconciled.
Kosma glanced at the man's trembling body and his daughter who was lying on the ground beside him, as if the sickle of Death was about to fall on them at any second.
A whistle and a light pierced the dark alley.
He walked silently into the deep side, his elongated shadow hanging on the wall like a demon.
The End or the Beginning[ | ]
- Last updated: 2022-05-18
- Requirement: This Flame-Chaser's Remembrance Vessel reaches Lv. 7
The wind howled.
The hurricane rent the sky, crushed the streets and devoured the buildings.
A few days ago, the residents were evacuated without explanation under the ringing of the disaster alarm. What was once a transportation hub was now a ghost town.
A heavily armed young man stood guard on top of the tallest building in the city.
Just a few kilometers away, the vortex was approaching them at high speed.
The young man clenched his fists as if to restrain his trembling.
Even so, he craned his neck and gazed at the looming behemoth.
He was waiting.
When the vortex came under foot, he would jump into the eye of the storm. That was the core of disaster and the source of all misfortune.
He must destroy it.
He closed his eyes, then went over every step of the battle with the core of the hurricane in his brain.
The storm would tear his body to pieces and erase his existence, but he would destroy the storm's "power source" before his last breath.
When it was over, someone might put flowers on his grave. But most likely, he would disappear from this world just like all of those that succumbed to the storm in the town where he was born and raised.
... But he wouldn't regret it.
The eye of the storm approached, and he began to tense up.
He had only one chance.
Three... two... one... jump!
The young man's frail body was swallowed up by the torrential wind in an instant.
The hurricane ripped his clothes apart as he clenched his teeth and threw a bomb into the eye of the storm.
Once he destroyed the power source, he could end everything.
But then, his heart sank.
... The eye of the storm was empty.
The wind was not abated. Instead, it clutched the boy in its hands as it was about to crush his bones.
Suddenly, his body soared into the air and was thrown out and away from the storm. A staunch figure stood before him.
He was a white-haired young man not much older than himself.
He faced the storm with a gun in his hand, like a stalwart javelin.
"Who are you?"
Kosma asked, but the wind muffled his voice.
"Why is a civilian, no, a child, still here?"
"Listen, if you don't want to die, run! The 4th Herrscher is coming. There is a shelter thirty kilometers east of the city. Go there immediately!"
"The 4th Herrscher? What's that?"
"The source of all disasters. Every time she attacks, she creates such a storm."
"Every time?"
The young man repeated in shock. He found it hard to believe that the storm that nearly killed him was just a casual blow.
His teeth clattered in fear. He couldn't bring himself to imagine the power of the so-called "Herrscher" that the young man spoke of.
The magnitude of such power filled him with despair.
"Get out of here as soon as possible. Whatever you do, don't go near the eye of the storm."
"My name's Kevin. I'll stop her."
"... Please, let me stay! I can help you!"
The boy fell silent for a moment, then shouted out with all his might.
He had no idea where he found such courage, but the voice within told him that he must keep up with him, or he would regret it for the rest of his life.
Kevin turn his head slightly and looked at him. The boy's gaze stopped him in his tracks.
... In those eyes he saw the readiness to give up life, and the resolve to overcome everything that stood in the way.
"You name is... 'Kosma', isn't it?"
He glanced at the young man's name tag.
"Okay, then do me a favor, a favor that only you're capable of."
"You're a good one, so..."
"Stay alive, okay?"
Demonic Passage[ | ]
- Last updated: 2022-05-18
- Requirement: This Flame-Chaser's Remembrance Vessel reaches Lv. 8
"...Yeah, I'm tired of that story."
"When night falls, a horde of ferocious demons would rampage through the streets... You mustn't look at these horrific monsters under any circumstance. These writhing monstrosities are··· 'pure evil'."
"I can't find the words to describe such horrors to you."
The green-haired girl's rather joking tone failed to illicit any response. After all, she was just an uninvited guest. However, she was not alone in the shadows.
In the pitch black corner, the constant smell of sulfur hinted at a "strange entity" lurking in the dark.
"Only... I can tell instantly that it wasn't a demon, but a person. Right, Kosma?"
The silence remained palpable... but the girl wasn't anxious in the slightest. She knew for sure she'd get a response.
Here and now, by no means could whoever remained in the shadows stand the mention of their "former name and identity".
"..."
"I... don't..."
Her judgement is right on point.
The faint, evil voice swept through the abandoned buildings of the wasteland.
"I know, that's why you left your medal behind and left the MOTHs without saying goodbye..."
"However, your definition of humanity doesn't count."
"... Leave... don't ever come back."
"Oh? Really... I'll give you another chance to think about it. After all, do you really want the only person who can cure you to never come back?"
"...?"
"Let me put it this way, lab rat. The so-called "Over Meta-Morph" is what made you become what you are now. I've known this since the beginning."
"... Yet you stayed quiet."
"Of course. Because I lack empirical evidence, such as... you. Something that can prove that you can still retain your human consciousness in this form."
"Put away your temper, Kosma. I've studied the characteristics of Vishnu... and even paid the price for it. Whether you like it or not, this price... I'll let you pay it instead of me."
"After all... I'm the only one who can stabilize this side effect and make you 'normal' again."
"..."
"Is that a yes? Or... do you not know how to refuse?"
"Well... let me see... will this 'demon' disappoint me?"
She turned a light on, eating away at the shadows.
The girl's snake eyes gradually widened at the sight of a "beauty" beyond imagination.
"There, there... good... You can do it, dear child."
"You can take MANTIS to a whole new level. You can..."
"... Help me build the last step for me."
Daybreak Transformation[ | ]
- Last updated: 2022-05-18
- Requirement: This Flame-Chaser's Remembrance Vessel reaches Lv. 9
"You're right. You might be able to do it, but there will come a day when you can't."
Falling into the dust, his heart echoes what Ato said to him.
He struggles to crawl forward, and after confirming that the death of the 9th Herrscher was indeed correct, his disappointment is gradually eroded by anger.
"Ever Herrschers have the opportunity to leave their bodies, but Ato···"
He feels confused and... disillusioned.
Is his revenge over? I'm afraid not. Is there a hero for evil in this world. I don't know.
"Kevin..."
He feels so angry that his voice begins to distort.
"He died because of you..."
"..."
The once stalwart figure now lies in the dust as did he, small and insignificant.
"We can do it... Yet he died in vain... All because you didn't want to take risks..."
He shakes his hands in anger.
"..."
The man who once told him to "stay live [sic]" was now silent.
"This was the MOTHs' 'decision' again··· Wasn't it? Just like the 5th Eruption··· And the 8th Eruption··· [sic]
The anger he feels is do deep that it seems to spread out like an ethereal presence.
"... No. It was my decision."
"It was the lesser of two evils··· We had no other choice."
"..."
"In that case, 'only he can'..."
"..."
The anger swells up inside him to the point that even the dust around him dissipates in an instant.
"..."
The anger he feels is so deep, that the badge that once symbolized life gradually leaves him.
"..."
The anger he feels is so deep, the only thing he sees is··· a "demonic" claw.
"—Kosma?!"
On that day, the power that would later be known as "Meta-Morph Overload"... Or rather, known as a curse...
Appeared to the world for the first time.
The young man who became the first person to pay that heavy price...
The young, naïve boy who chased "the best of both worlds" ended up with "the worst of both worlds".
Gift[ | ]
- Last updated: 2022-05-18
- Requirement: This Flame-Chaser's Remembrance Vessel reaches Lv. 10
"The gift for Elysia is... jewelry."
"The gift for Mobius is... m-moisturizer?"
"The gift for Sakura is... an earphone? Or is it two? [sic]
"For Ato... a model ship."
"For MEI... uh, 'Punchlines'? [sic]
Looking at the present list, Dystopia shook her head helplessly. It seemed that the helper she asked to buy gifts for everyone had a unique understanding of "gifts".
"..."
Kosma remained quiet, apparently lacking confidence in what he chose.
"What to say... These gifts sure have your name all over them. But girls may put a different importance on gifts..."
"..."
"Well, don't take it to hear. Blame me for not giving you adequate information. I should have given it to you earlier."
She handed him a small gift.
"Here you go."
"... Me too? You didn't tell me I'd get a gift too."
"Nonsense. Do you really think I'd make you get yourself a gift. Open it and take a look."
Kosma opened it.
It's a harmonica.
"Just to let you know, this harmonica is made out of pear wood. It was discontinued many years ago because it wasn't treated properly, which cause it to swell. But I think you'll like the pattern."
"..."
"... Thank you."
"Um, that's it? Anything else you want to say?"
"No, I love it... just... [sic]
"I just don't have any sense of rhythm and I don't know how to play it. I just really like it... I feel bad for receiving such a thoughtful gift."
"Looks like I'll have to practice extra hard, haha..."
She smiled.
"I'm glad to hear that. Better late than never."
"Laugh while you can."
"Alright, once you've learned how to play, we'll hear what Griseo thinks. But just to let you know, kids are brutally honest. Don't get too upset..."
...
The past is in the past.
Kosma put down his harmonica and said nothing to Griseo while she painted.
Recently, he had started to feel confident in his playing, and his skills were even recognized by Eden.
However, this swelling-prone harmonica now tasted damp...
and bitter.
Star Gazing[ | ]
- Last updated: 2022-05-18
- Requirement: This Flame-Chaser's Remembrance Vessel reaches Lv. 11
"...Like a greedy snake, understand?"
"..."
"That's right! A snake in the universe called 'Kosma'. Oo~ Sounds mysterious."
"..."
"I can understand Dr. Mei's idea. Project Ark is almost tailor-made for you. Your 'perpetual growth' ability can only reach its full potential in the boundless universe. Maybe you will eventually grow into some 'cosmic being'. Who knows, you might even create a new world!"
"... If it really is a 'project', that is."
Vill-V can't deny that.
"..."
"...It just makes me feel like a deserter."
Vill-V can't deny that either.
"..."
"..."
Kosma doesn't say anything else and remains quiet as before.
Vill-V remains quiet as well. It was never her role to enlighten others and preach the truth.
"...Let me know when the results are ready."
With that, he leaves the room.
The room falls silent for quite some time.
That is, until Vill-V shouts to the corner.
"So... Shall we continue?"
A blue head covered in wet paint sticks out.
"Kosma doesn't want to."
"So? Quit stating the obvious."
Griseo remains quiet. Vill-V can't tell if she even heard his question
because she turns her head and quietly looks at the painting on her easel.
A girl is sleeping safely under the embrace of the stars.
She is alone, and, although she seems to have nothing, she seems to have everything with the stars as her quilt.
Serpent Master's Memory[ | ]
Take My Hand[ | ]
- Last updated: 2022-05-18
- Requirement: This Flame-Chaser's Remembrance Vessel reaches Lv.
"Why do humans have to stick to one form?"
The woman's question was not answered. No one in the autopsy room could give her an answer.
There was just a corpse before her — no matter how intimidating it had been when it was alive, at this moment, it was just a corpse in an autopsy room.
...
Her research would have gone on for quite a while, but she stopped abruptly. She turned around, loosened her long green hair that was tied on the back of her head, and carefully hid the tool she was holding behind her body.
"Elysia? You aren't supposed to be here, are you?"
The other girl did not respond.
She tilted her head and glanced at the corpse on the dissection table as if she were thinking about something.
"The 2nd Herrscher... Mobius, your research application hasn't been approved yet, right?"
Elysia stood on her tiptoes soundlessly — she was not used to looking up at others in a conversation, not even a little.
"Keep your nose out of this, Elysia. You shouldn't even be here."
Her eyes wandered to Elysia, and then, she too stood on her tiptoes slightly.
"Alas, Doctor... I just didn't want to see you go astray."
"You're not the only one bewitched by Herrschers. Over the years, both you and I have seen so many people who tried to study the 1st Herrscher using all sorts of methods."
"Fame, power, authority... no matter what their objective was, they all had their similar fates."
"I don't want to see you fall into the abyss too... Dr. Mobius, I'm speaking from my heart. Knowledge without wisdom is no different than a curse."
"Bewitched? Hmph..."
She turned her head and looked at the corpse behind her again.
How beautiful.
The power she possessed, and the way she wielded it... It was fascinating.
But her body on the table looked just like a human of this era... No, she was once a human too.
So, why can't all humans be like her?
"Uh, right... I guess I can't say you're bewitched."
"But did you know — I can usually tell what people are thinking, but you are different... Your inner world is always changing, which I find extremely fascinating."
"So, my dear Mobius... can you indulge my curiosity today?"
Suddenly, a power failure occurred and the autopsy room fell into darkness.
Only her reptilian eyes were glinting in the dark.
"What do I want? Elysia... even if I tell you, you won't understand. The second you compare me with other people, you no longer understand me."
"What I want is very simple..."
"To create transcendence with my own hands."
Good News[ | ]
- Last updated: 2022-05-18
- Requirement: This Flame-Chaser's Remembrance Vessel reaches Lv.
"You must've received many compliments on your intelligence, so I won't bother repeating them." With a cup of coffee in hand, she casually walked over to MEI.
The nametag on the woman's collar said Mobius.
MEI knew who she was, of course. The academic symposium in the Mu continent was world-famous; anyone qualified to attend would have heard the name.
She just couldn't understand why this scholar, who was second to none in the field of genetic science, would suddenly come to her. In addition, according to what she had heard, Mobius had already...
"Thank you for your kind words, Doctor." Even though MEI was brilliant, she was just a high school girl. When she came back to her sense, she was blushing uncontrollably.
"Hehe, no need to be so nervous. I just came to have a casual conversation with you."
"I've read your paper, it was great and undoubtedly worthy of further research. Do you mind if I ask a few pertinent questions?"
Said Mobius, while tearing off a piece of paper from her notebook. She then quickly wrote down a few numbers and handed the piece of paper to the young girl.
She accepted the piece of paper and nodded quietly.
"First question..." she swept back her long green hair and looked down at the young girl's shy face, "Do you have a boyfriend?"
"Ah... huh?"
The young girl did not expect such a question, but she did not question its reasonableness, given that it was Dr. Mobius who asked it.
"Er... no."
"Hmm... good response, so there's a boy you like. Aww, to be young..."
"Second question: have you read any of my research papers before? Do you have any thoughts? Or anything you want to say to me?"
The young girl was shocked by Mobius's fickle, unpredictable way of thinking, but she tried her best to keep up.
"I've read all your papers, and there are some parts that I don't quite understand... And there's another thing..." the young girl lowered her voice as if she was not sure whether she should finish her sentence. "It seems that you haven't attended any lectures anywhere for a long time. So, I was wondering..."
"Oh, lectures... you want to know why I was gone for so long, don't you? Well, I just had too much on my plate."
Mobius interrupted the young girl's response with a cheerful smile.
"If you still have questions about this, just give me a call anytime. That was my phone number on the piece of paper I just gave you."
"I don't have much time here, so let's make the most of it. They could come for me any minute."
"Who are 'they'...?"
"Oh, don't worry about it, just work stuff. Don't mind them, let's focus on our conversation here."
"Next question — would you make yourself an enemy of humanity if it meant a brighter future for humanity?"
"Er... huh?"
It all happened so fast. Her mind was still on Dr. Mobius's research papers.
"I..."
She hesitated because she had never given any thought to such a question before.
However, her hesitation seemed to dissipate when she looked up and saw Dr. Mobius's deep reptilian eyes.
The answer just came to her.
"If it does lead to a better future for humankind," she said, "then I would do it."
"..."
"Very well. The next question..."
An untimely incoming call interrupted her.
She glanced at her phone impatiently and then became even more irritated — she hated the caller, but she had to answer it.
"If you're busy, we can talk later." The young girl left understandingly after she pointed at the piece of paper in her hand and gestured that she would call Mobius.
Looking at the young girl's receding figure, Mobius picked up the phone, but her mind had already left with the young girl.
"Mobius, I believe I've warned you not to leave the MOTH's jurisdiction at will..."
"Hey, forget about it, wanna hear some good news?"
"I hope your definition of 'good news' is in line with common sense."
"I've found the person we need."
Cocoon-Break[ | ]
- Last updated: 2022-05-18
- Requirement: This Flame-Chaser's Remembrance Vessel reaches Lv. 4
What it initially sensed was its blood vessels. It only needed to hold its breath in silence to feel the tingling pain caused by the blood rushing through its arteries.
Inhale, exhale, and inhale again... It felt as if its body had become one with the external environment, with only its consciousness elsewhere, silently observing everything as a bystander.
What followed was an unbearable itching sensation. It came from beneath the skin, yet above the bones, and nothing would bring relief.
But soon, the itching sensation was gone. It was replaced by a sharp pain, far more violent than before... as if something were flowing deep in its bone marrow, gnawing and devouring...
It took a deep breath and managed to open its eyes with all its strength, only to find itself greeted by a pitch-black void. There was no light or sound; everything seemed to have been consumed by the darkness... including itself.
It had to give up on sight, but attempted to hear, smell, and touch instead... which turned out to be pointless, as its five senses had been sealed off.
It needed some force from the outside world to help break the stillness.
So it decided to stop struggling and wait. It accepted everything it was going through and even begun to try to objectively perceive its current 'self'.
"Mo...Mobius?"
Its senses were suddenly awakened.
The unrestrained pleasure that followed made it open its mouth to gasp in the fresh air that had been gone for so long.
"...Su?"
It uttered a tentative sound, and was relieved that it could still do so.
"Mobius... did you...?" His voice trembled. Deep down, he already knew the answer to the question he did not finish asking.
"I guess I don't need to answer that question anymore."
"...Mobius, whatever your purpose is, you have crossed the line."
"I will accurately report this matter to the headquarters... I hope you are still in condition to write an accident report."
"Headquarters? Accident report? Sheesh, you sound like a kid trying to tell on someone to the teacher."
It gradually began to adapt to its body and could speak more fluently.
"Su... you are not afraid of me, are you?"
"Mobius... you'd better know what you're doing."
"Of course I do... I always know what I'm doing, Su. It's you who doesn't have a clue."
"What you see isn't always real. But you have at least witnessed this moment... which is a good thing, I guess."
Beauty[ | ]
- Last updated: 2022-05-18
- Requirement: This Flame-Chaser's Remembrance Vessel reaches Lv. 4
"The old you could have become a superstar too, Dr. Mobius."
In the dim light, she stood behind her, combing her long, green hair.
"A superstar... I've never thought about anything like that."
"But as I recall, you used to be a famous star yourself. I've seen posters of you — there was a street that had your pictures plastered everywhere."
Mobius looked up at Eden's face in the mirror.
After the surgery, her appetite was poor, and she looked tired and frail.
"That was a long time ago..." She hung her heard as it she didn't want to see herself in the mirror.
"..."
"Eden, what does it take to become a superstar?"
"..."
She didn't expect that Mobius would abruptly ask her a question like that.
"I guess... it's beauty."
"Beauty..."
"What is your definition of beauty?" She turned around and looked at Eden, accidentally knocking the comb out of hand.
"Do you have it? Did the old me have it?"
Eden did not answer. She slowly bent down and picked up the comb from the floor.
She remained silent for a long time, as if she was searching for an answer that would win the young girl's approval.
Or, she was looking for an answer that she approved of herself.
"Beauty... in my opinion, is something that makes people happy, guides the way, and sparks hope."
"What do you think, Dr. Mobius?"
"..."
She did not expect Eden would ask her the same question.
She thought for a while before responding.
"I think... the most beautiful thing is the process of human evolution."
"First it was just a cell, then an individual, a race, a kind... And the survival, reproduction, and evolution of such a kind... Humankind has always been beautiful."
"And, humans can become more beautiful... I always believed that. And this process is just as beautiful."
"You have a unique aesthetic sense, Doctor."
"Eden, you and I... we are both beautiful."
In the dim light, Mobius gave Eden a rare, gentle smile.
In the Shadow[ | ]
- Last updated: 2022-05-18
- Requirement: This Flame-Chaser's Remembrance Vessel reaches Lv. 5
"Dr. Mobius, do you have an explanation for this matter?"
"Explanation? Hmph, what do you want me to explain?"
The young girl restrained in the chair gave a disdainful smile to the dozens of monitors in front of her.
"The truth of that 'accident'? The reason why I did that? Or... the method for recreating it?"
"Mobius!"
"Haha... Hahahahaha..."
"You guys should see the look on your faces right now. You all look like you're about to explode with rage, but there's nothing you can do about me..."
"You look like little kids whose parents refused to buy them toys."
"No, even kids are a step above you."
"At least kids would admit that they wanted the toys in the shop window, but you don't even dare to say what you really want."
"You know what we want."
"But you don't know what I want."
"Then tell us. We'll try to make it happen."
"..."
"I want to see someone — Dr. MEI. I want you to get her here to see me."
"..."
"Considering Dr. MEI's safety, we cannot allow you to meet with her at the moment, Mobius."
"Then you will never learn how to recreate that 'accident'."
"..."
"..."
"..."
"Contact Dr. MEI and consult with her."
"However, even if Dr. MEI agrees to see you... Kevin must accompany her during her meeting with you. Can you accept this arrangement, Mobius?"
"Hehe, of course."
Death and Rebirth[ | ]
- Last updated: 2022-05-18
- Requirement: This Flame-Chaser's Remembrance Vessel reaches Lv. 6
Except for a ray of light that appeared when she became conscious, only endless darkness and stifling heat surrounded her.
"I can perceive."
"I can perceive darkness, and I can perceive heat."
"But... what is all this?"
"Is this... the world they speak of?"
"Somebody come... come quickly..."
"Doctor... she won't last much longer..."
(I can hear you.)
(But what is this... fluctuation?)
(Is this what they call... feelings?)
"Why is this happening?!"
"Save her! She can't die like this..."
(I can understand)
(But, besides this...)
(Where are they?)
At that moment, the darkness that had been surrounding her vanished.
For the first time, she opened her eyes.
For the first time, she saw colors besides black.
For the first time, she saw this colorful, chaotic world with unlimited possibilities.
The world was an assault on her senses, yet she felt joyful.
(I know... I know that this is the real world)
(I know that there is more here than primordial chaos)
(Then... the place I just was, where is that?)
...
She did not get any response. A pair of strong hands lifted her up, and brought her to a frail woman.
When she saw that woman's face... her green hair, her delicate features, and her forced smile...
She knew that this was a "human", a human at the brink of death.
She knew this human has been pregnant 10 months, and had given her life.
She knew this human was her "mother".
"Sigh... she's not crying... what a tough kid..."
"What a shame... that I won't get to see her grow up..."
Trembling, the woman removed the earrings she always wore and gave them to the new life in front of her.
"Yes, just like I said before..."
"I'll call her... Mobius..."
The woman on the hospital bed closed her eyes.
The sounds of footsteps, sobbing, and wailing soon filled the room.
But the newborn just silently inspected the pair of earrings that had been given to her.
But then, a tiny, strange sound could be heard.
The commotion faded, and people's expression turned to shock and fear.
"Mobius... Is that my... 'name'?"
Yes, this was the first time that the world had heard this new life's voice.
The Gunshot at Last[ | ]
- Last updated: 2022-05-18
- Requirement: This Flame-Chaser's Remembrance Vessel reaches Lv. 7
"Everyone has the opportunity to see the world as it is, and to bear that weight— this is the sacrifice we speak of."
"Hehe, well said. MEI, your little assistant... has he come to this realization?"
On the other side of the one-way mirror, the man she spoke of stood alone, head lowered to inspect the gun in his hand.
He was oblivious to what was happening in the lab.
—"If a gun makes an appearance in a story, at some point it will go off." Mobius forgot where she first heard this, but at this moment she felt that such logic applied to reality as well.
"But MEI... I'm wondering whether he arrived at this realization on his own, or if it came from you?"
"And what about you, MEI? How do you view 'sacrifice'?"
"..."
"Dr. Mobius, there's not much time, please focus on your work."
Dr. MEI had not picked up on Mobius's sarcasm— she did not want to answer the question nor did she have time.
"We still have time... still have an opportunity to get back everything."
"If my weaknesses are severe enough for you to discover them, then how can you say we still have a chance?"
"Chances are hard to come by, and the situation now is quite promising... let's talk about it some more, MEI, what do you say?"
"I think it's time for this experiment to come to an end."
"..."
MEI didn't answer, and kept working with the scalpel she held in her hand. She wasn't as skilled with it as Mobius, but her technique was nearly as precise and efficient.
After maybe a quarter of an hour, she finally finished and raised her head to look at Mobius.
"Sorry, Dr. Mobius, can you say that again?"
"I was collecting some very important data just now, so I was focused on the work and didn't hear what you said."
"Ah, MEI, I knew you didn't care about saving him, you just don't want to miss out on that critical data."
"As for what I asked you, it's simple."
"I want to know how you view 'sacrifice'."
"..."
"Sacrifice is just what it sounds like. In order to allow humanity to continue existing, we have no choice but to make sacrifices."
"The reason I came here was not because I approved of your methods, but because I didn't want you to go too far down a path that leads nowhere."
"Sacrifice is one thing, but bringing about the death of humanity is a line we should never cross."
"Hmm... it seems we've misunderstood each other, MEI. I would never cross that line either."
"But in your eyes, is 'humanity' an unchanging concept?"
"..."
"Discussing this was the reason I called you here today. I hope that you'll think about it differently from now on."
"I know that inevitably, countless people will stand in the way of me achieving this ideal, but I hoped that you would not be among them."
Just as Mobius finished speaking, a cry that could only have been produced by some sort of beast erupted from the lab.
The subject lying on the operating table, who should have been unconscious, had been completely corrupted by Honkai energy. With abnormal strength, he easily ripped through his restraints and stood up.
To Mobius, his appearance was certainly an accident, but not a complete surprise.
"Everything has to start somewhere, MEI."
"In this pursuit of answers, you and I are both just at the starting line."
"You should have an open mind, MEI, and understand the definition of 'humanity' can change. Don't get tripped up on semantics."
"Otherwise, I'll have to let you go, MEI."
— the sound of a gunshot. The bullet went through the glass, shattering it, and directly hit the crazed test subject.
Just as Mobius had predicted, the sun wouldn't have been in the story if it wasn't going to be fired.
"Alright, MEI."
She took off her glasses and began to wipe off the blood that had been splattered onto them.
"Since you must join Project Stigma, tell me..."
"How does it feel to have blood on your hands?"
Birthday[ | ]
- Last updated: 2022-05-18
- Requirement: This Flame-Chaser's Remembrance Vessel reaches Lv. 8
The girl's bare feet made a pitter-patter as she walked across the floor.
Just like her delicate hands, her feet shone bright white in the sunlight, even giving the illusion of being translucent.
But in this rather dim room, such a sight was rarely seen.
"Life passes in the blink of an eye, and happiness is mixed with pain and confusion..."
The sound of music came from a corner of the room.
Standing on her tiptoes, the girl carefully got the medicine box down from the cupboard. She skillfully prepared the amount she needed, and then took it over to the emaciated man.
She looked at him quietly with an expression of pity, waiting for him to take the white tablets.
Yes, she felt pity...pity for her "father".
The girl wouldn't normally have such an expression, even though the man's appearance was indeed pitiful.
The man was once a well-known apothecary. He was a widower, and although he did reminisce about his wife from time to time, he was not a broken man. Even now, the girl remembered the compassionate tone he used when prescribing medicine to a patient.
He had always been a gentleman and an excellent father...until he was afflicted by that horrible illness.
Pop—
The sound of a slap rang out suddenly. The girl did not cover up her face. She just stood in silence, wondering where the blood in her mouth came from. Was it from her gum or her cheek? She didn't ask the man why he would do such a thing.
She was used to it.
There wasn't a real reason why the man who had been tortured by his ailment for so long hit her.
Usually, it was just a signal to his daughter that she could leave... or that she had better get out.
The girl did not blame her father, given the circumstances.
The names, amounts, efficacy, and side effects of the tablets she had just prepared came into her mind.
Yes, just like her father's old patients, the side effects of the pills had hijacked his mind and affected his cognition.
The girl suddenly felt that the entire situation was ridiculous.
A little white pill, flawless and clean in appearance, could completely destroy someone's personality and turn them into someone else.
It seemed to her that humans are ridiculously fragile creatures.
Ridiculous... hilarious... ugly.
Today, the girl didn't comply with her father's "request" and leave the room.
She tidied her faintly green-colored hair, and looked up with a playful expression.
"You really look ugly."
"I will never turn into someone like you."
Pop—
Another slap rang out.
Blood oozed from the corner of the girl's mouth, but she continued to look at her father with a playful expression.
"Life passes in the blink of an eye, and happiness is mixed with pain and confusion..."
The music returned, a familiar melody in a familiar place.
"I will make humanity... evolve."
"Whatever disaster befalls us, I will not let humans be humiliated like this."
"I won't let them become wretched monsters...
"like you."
"..."
The girl ignored her pain and took a deep breath.
"That's all I have to say. Hit me again."
That day was the girl's ninth birthday.
It was also the last birthday she would spend at home.
Śeṣa[ | ]
- Last updated: 2022-05-18
- Requirement: This Flame-Chaser's Remembrance Vessel reaches Lv. 9
"What is it, Hua? This is just a routine mission, there's no need to be nervous."
"..."
"Yeah, sorry. I'll stay focused."
With some effort, the girl stood up. If her comrade hadn't pushed her aside just in time, the last attack would have at least broken several of her ribs.
Although she had experienced it many times, this was still a battlefield. A large herd of Honkai Beasts wandered about in all directions, attacking people.
But when she saw the crumbling ruins in this place, her mind wandered.
Since her escape, this was the first time she returned to this city where she had once sought knowledge.
This was also the first time in her life that she reached a breaking point. And the person who had once saved her from death... he was no longer there.
"We're almost there, right Emile?"
"Yeah, the Honkai energy reaction that showed up on our readings should be just ahead."
"But let's be careful. Even though the records from the Third Honkai War include images of it being killed, this kind of abnormal Honkai energy might give rise to new Honkai Beasts, or maybe that one isn't even dead."
"I hope we can stick to the original plan, in which case we just need to recover its body, no need to complicate things."
"After all... it if has the ability to come back to life... there's no point in looking out for each other."
"A Judgement-class Honkai Beast... this is not an opponent that we can deal with on our own."
"Judgement-class...has it been confirmed?"
"Yes, it's the Judgement-class Honkai Beast 'Sesa'."
"Before we detected this anomalous reaction, the MOTHs have been unable to locate its body."
"Sesa..."
"This Honkai Beast... does it have any special characteristics?"
"Huh? Hua, did you look at the information I gave you before we left?"
"Because it was born with the 3rd Herrscher, it also has the ability to control lightning."
"Beyond that, it's unclear... the MOTHs don't have a full understanding, but they warn that it should never be touched and that a safe distance of 10 meters should be maintained at all times."
"Besides that, there should be some info about its physical characteristics, right? Just seeing its picture is unforgettable. It looks like an enormous..."
"Snake, right?"
Suddenly, they heard a sound that stopped both of them in their tracks.
If it was an unknown enemy, perhaps that would have been better. But they recognized the sound, and it put them on guard.
—It was the sound of a snake hissing in the darkness.
"Dr. Mobius..."
"Ah, hello, young warriors."
"Just now, I resolved the Honkai disturbance here."
The green-haired woman stood before the two of them, smiling with her hands clasped behind her back.
"Dr. Mobius... why are you here?"
"And by yourself, how did you..."
"Haha... Don't jump to conclusions."
"Look at your instruments... do they show an abnormal Honkai energy reaction?"
"It's... gone..."
"The Judgement-class Honkai Beast, Sesa."
"Just now, I wiped it off the face of the earth."
"What?..."
"There is no longer a need for a recovery operation, warriors. Your mission is over. You can go back."
"I'll deal with the mop-up on my own."
"Mop-up...?"
"Did I just say that?"
"I just meant I need to complete my... investigation. Yes, just a very simply investigation."
Neither of them noticed that she held an oddly-shaped sealed container behind her back.
In the container was a large amount of viscous dark-green fluid.
And in it floated an eyeball, the eye of a snake.
Klein[ | ]
- Last updated: 2022-05-18
- Requirement: This Flame-Chaser's Remembrance Vessel reaches Lv. 10
Klein was shivering.
In front of her was a small mountain of files, but they weren't exactly the source of her fear - she had grown used to it since long ago.
What truly inspired terror in her were the sadistic laughter and painful screams coming from her back...
She should have grown used to them too. It wasn't her first day in the lab.
However... fear still clenched her heart as it had always done.
The culprit causing all of this, the director of the lab, would occasionally walk out of the operating room and take a short break.
Walking past Klein's desk, she would take a glimpse of her work and give brief instructions. Every paper she touched would catch thick red... or some other color from time to time.
"The number should be 4200. Don't get it wrong."
"..."
"Dr. Mobius, please wait."
"Huh?"
"I can help with your work inside the operating room."
"Really?"
Dr. Mobius stopped to study the look on Klein's face intently.
She noticed Klein was shivering uncontrollably - a sign of fright.
"Klein, haven't I made myself clear? You don't have to stay by my side to be helpful."
"Ah, Nuwa talks too much. I know you heard something about the past from her."
"But Klein, you don't have to be the old Klein and what she once did might not be suitable for you."
"But... I've thought this through."
"Others in the MOTHs fail to understand you, but it's always the case with every great reformer in history. I believe..."
"Alright, stop right there. Nuwa wrote this for you, right? I saw her drafting the lines for you yesterday."
"..."
"Klein, if you've made up your mind, I won't stop you."
"I said the freedom I gave you was absolute, but before it happens, I want you to ask yourself why you're doing this."
"..."
"Because... you gave me life."
"So?"
"I've created other artificial lives, but you're the only one here."
"..."
"Out of words? Then you should stay outside. I still have a surgery to finish."
"...But, Dr. Mobius..."
"What's your reason? Why... are you doing this?"
"..."
"Done talking?"
"Hmm."
"Then follow me."
"Huh?"
"I don't think you can get back to your work before I show you what's inside."
"Besides, it's your choice... I won't make the decision for you."
"Anyway, just follow me..."
...
...
...
...Inside the operating room.
A man wearing a curious mask was lying in a transparent cylindrical pod.
He seemed to be displeased with the two and let out a cold smile in contempt.
"Alright, Klein, help me with the surgery."
"Of course, I won't blame you if you step back now."
She wasn't expecting anything. She knew Klein too well.
She knew Klein would give up - that was why she brought Klein in.
But she was in for a surprise.
Yes, Klein was still shaking, even more so than before.
But in the meantime, she took a quick scan of the room.
She determined which stage the surgery was at, which tools were to be used next... and even the physical condition of the patient.
Mobius was dumbfounded.
For no reason, a distant memory floated up her mind... until Klein's voice pulled her back to reality.
"Dr. Mobius, here you are."
She had prepared the tools for the next stage and handed them to Mobius.
"Ha..."
Mobius smiled in self-ridicule.
Yeah, Klein had found her answer since long ago.
It was Mobius herself that held the prejudice and believe Klein shouldn't repeat the path of the old Klein.
Even she herself couldn't tell why she did this. Even if Klein sets out on the same old path, so what?
This is her choice.
"Mobius, when can you finish the Meta-Morph surgery?"
The man in the pod didn't seem to appreciate the sudden silence in the room.
"Ah, relax, Kalpas..."
Mobius took the tools from Klein's hand.
Her smile lingered on, and with an added touch of cruelty.
"It will be over soon."
A Girl named Charon[ | ]
- Last updated: 2022-05-31
- Requirement: This Flame-Chaser's Remembrance Vessel reaches Lv. 11
The song bidding farewell to the current era was growing more distant.
In 6 minutes, the hibernation capsule would sink into the earth, and eventually emerge in a new era.
It was a seed humanity was planting for the future, as well as the last gasp of the current era.
The girl with the snake-like eyes gazed at the lifeless world in front of her, remembering what it looked like the first time she saw it.
Struggle... combat... all the joys and sorrows... challenging the fabrications of the gods...
"Was it them that brought humanity to the state it's in now?"
The girl bent over and picked up a handful of sand, watching it slip between her fingers, like everything else in this world.
"In the end, this is all we've saved? It's difficult to bear..."
The timer showed five minutes remaining.
As the sand fell through her fingers, the girl was about to withdraw her hand when she noticed that some sand remained in her palm. Even when she turned her hand over, the sand stubbornly clung to it.
"I want to be just like this sand."
This was the way the girl thought.
After giving the video recording to Klein, she was sure that she had nothing to worry about.
But as she stood here, holding the sand in her palm, she was suddenly aware of the stubbornness deep in her heart.
"Ah, Kevin what you said back then was exactly right. Humanity dug its own grave, indeed."
"But you and I are different... when you made that prediction, you did not understand the whole truth."
...
The timer was at four minutes.
The distant music had not yet faded away completely. Eden still wandered around this doomed world, singing her song and waiting for the end.
But the girl was not as resigned to her fate as Eden. On the contrary, she began to worry.
"I beg you, Eden, leave this place faster. Otherwise, I won't have time to do what must be done."
The girl silently counted down the time until the hibernation capsule would be sealed.
She didn't want to go back there, and she didn't want anyone to get in the way, be it Kevin, Hua, or Eden...
She hoped no one would try to stop her, as she didn't have the time and energy to explain it to them, nor to fight with them.
"Annoying... really annoying."
"Why is it like this every time? Something that only I can do... a problem only I can solve..."
"Only I can handle the truth."
The timer was at 3 minutes.
The music was gone.
In her heart, the girl suddenly felt a bit of sadness.
This feeling... it had been a long time since she experienced it.
"I'm sorry Eden. I only heard your farewell in passing."
"But I must admit, my respect for you is genuine."
Two minutes left on the timer.
"Okay, at this point the hibernation capsule won't be opened for any reason."
"Now... I'll have to hurry."
It was only now that the reason Mobius came to this place became apparent.
It front of her, some of the lifeless sand began to shift and swirl about.
It seemed something was slowly rising out of the sea of sand.
One minute left on the timer.
After passing through a narrow corridor, the girl had finally come to the end of her journey.
A ray of brilliant blue light was reflected in her slightly clouded, snake-like eyes.
"It's...been a while since we last met."
"You surely don't mind me paying you a visit..."
"Prometheus?"
Painter's Memory[ | ]
the Corner at Dusk[ | ]
- Last updated: 2022-05-18
- Requirement: This Flame-Chaser's Remembrance Vessel reaches Lv. 2
depicting an ordinary street near sunset.
The street should've been bustling at this time of day.
But for some reason, only a few stray cats can be seen walking.
The Touch[ | ]
- Last updated: 2022-05-18
- Requirement: This Flame-Chaser's Remembrance Vessel reaches Lv. 3
No one can tell what the painting depicts in the mess of colors. Is it a starry sky or the ocean? Or... Something else?
Maybe she uses this as a way to get answers for those unspeakable deep secrets with her own hands.
The Boy Under the Stars[ | ]
- Last updated: 2022-05-18
- Requirement: This Flame-Chaser's Remembrance Vessel reaches Lv. 4
A boy huddles in the corner of a room under the starry sky.
The silent starry sky gently looks at the boy.
The boy looks up at the stars with hope.
The Weeping Priest[ | ]
- Last updated: 2022-05-18
- Requirement: This Flame-Chaser's Remembrance Vessel reaches Lv. 5
Sakura accepted the gift, but Rin... doesn't appear to like the painting that much.
The painting depicts an unknown woman with wings.
She appears to have held a treasure and fluttered her wings high in the sky.
However... the treasure is broken. Even though she has wings, you can see tears glistening in the air.
Ruins[ | ]
- Last updated: 2022-05-18
- Requirement: This Flame-Chaser's Remembrance Vessel reaches Lv. 6
The still painting depicts a piano, wine... All things Eden usually likes.
However, such an exquisite painting can only be placed between rubble to collect dust... Normally this would be an act of outrage.
But... From another point of view, maybe... This painting may have existed here from the beginning.
A time when the ruins were not ruins, but rather the magnificent palace depicted in the painting.
Shooting Star[ | ]
- Last updated: 2022-05-18
- Requirement: This Flame-Chaser's Remembrance Vessel reaches Lv. 7
The painting is of a blood moon with a burning withered forest under it.
A "meteor" is passing through the sky — uncertain of its origin or whether it will fall.
Damaged Mannequin[ | ]
- Last updated: 2022-05-18
- Requirement: This Flame-Chaser's Remembrance Vessel reaches Lv. 8
However, Vill-V doesn't like the "gift" very much.
"The painting is gorgeous, but... How do I put it? If I hang this shabby thing in my newly renovated workshop... I'll feel like it's a bad omen."
So, Vill-V never hangs the painting in her workshop. The only people to have seen it are Vill-V... and Griseo, who painted it.
Sunflowers[ | ]
- Last updated: 2022-05-18
- Requirement: This Flame-Chaser's Remembrance Vessel reaches Lv. 9
Sunflowers should be planted in sunlight and always grow towards the warm sun.
If such a plant accidentally takes root in the shade, the only thing waiting for it is to wither alone like that in the painting...
Perhaps, there is only such an end.
Self-Portrait[ | ]
- Last updated: 2022-05-18
- Requirement: This Flame-Chaser's Remembrance Vessel reaches Lv. 10
However... Not even Griseo can tell whether she is the poor bird or the beautiful cage in the picture...
Or is she something else?
Untitled[ | ]
- Last updated: 2022-05-18
- Requirement: This Flame-Chaser's Remembrance Vessel reaches Lv. 11
But... In the end, she didn't paint a single stroke.
Or rather... The painting was "finished" long before she even started.
Soldier's Memory[ | ]
The Last Dream[ | ]
- Last updated: 2022-05-18
- Requirement: This Flame-Chaser's Remembrance Vessel reaches Lv.
It was time to set off.
It was a path that had never been traveled, and they would follow it unwaveringly for tens of thousands of years to come.
The ground on which they now stood would become a foreign land at which they could only gaze longingly from a distance.
"Are you all set, Kevin?"
"Yeah."
"Did you doze off?"
"... Where's Su?"
"He has other things to do. He's not coming."
"..."
"Hua, after becoming a MANTIS, do you still have dreams?"
"Why do you ask?"
"I ... dreamed of MEI, Sakura, Elysia... I dreamed of all the people who've died."
"They told me that only the fittest survive."
"It makes me hate who I am now."
"I know how you feel, Kevin."
"But we don't live just to survive."
"They paved the way for us, and we... still have a chance to start over."
"Sleep Kevin... sweet dreams."
"Start over? No, Hua... it's not over yet."
"No matter the cost, humanity... shall defeat the Honkai."
"..."
The cryo pods sank down and were overtaken by darkness and silence.
Their expedition that would last tens of thousands of years had begun.
The Rift[ | ]
- Last updated: 2022-05-18
- Requirement: This Flame-Chaser's Remembrance Vessel reaches Lv.
"This is betrayal."
"Oh... Hua, try to look at things from another perspective. If this is considered betrayal, then Dr. MEI has betrayed you as well."
"The 12th Herrscher has pushed us to the edge. I admit this is indeed a huge gamble... but also a necessary sacrifice for us."
"Besides, even if you're right... do you actually believe you won't be betrayed by others?"
"..."
"I don't know. But if that were the only option..."
"I wouldn't blame anyone for it."
"See? We're in the same boat."
"Hua, you've never truly decided for yourself, have you? Now is the time."
"Come with me, Hua."
"We will save humanity... in one stroke."
The girl put down her communicator and looked at the black cube on the table.
It was a cage ... and she knew what that was.
She also knew what it was containing.
Fear, anger, sadness, pity... and so much more.
"Dr. Mobius..."
The girl picked up her communicator again.
"I don't understand. You never consult anyone before you set about achieving your ends."
"Why... is this an exception?"
"And, if I accept... where do you want me to take it?"
"You've fought her with your own hands, Hua Do you not know how dangerous she is? Even I have to be careful around her."
"As for where to go... my private lab. I invited you there not long after the SWARA experiment, remember?"
"..."
The girl did not respond.
After taking several deep breaths, she cupped the pitch-black cube in her hands cautiously.
But she failed to notice one thing.
In a corner of that cube existed a crack that was evidently artificial.
The girl had not judged incorrectly.
Mobius... was a person who would never consult others beforehand.
Rumor: SWARA[ | ]
- Last updated: 2022-05-18
- Requirement: This Flame-Chaser's Remembrance Vessel reaches Lv.
"Oh... you want to ask about her."
"Fuxi, I'll be honest with you... What I know are only rumors, not truths, so please don't spread them."
"Don't worry, Elvin."
"Well then... you've heard of the SWARA experiment, haven't you? Among those involved, she's the only one who's still sane."
"Her adaptability to Honkai energy is unmatched on base. Kevin? I can't tell... but, as you know, that man... is unreasonably powerful..."
"Ahem, I digress. It's said that although she didn't go crazy like the others, she's been hearing strange voices long after receiving the SWARA treatment."
"What the voices were saying? I don't know, maybe only Dr. MEI has any record of that..."
"However, I heard that... the voices might be the Will of Honkai itself, trying to coax humans into becoming its worshipers... or something like that."
"Honkai... has worshipers?'
"There's quite a few. It's rather common in the rural areas."
"Any disaster can be deified, and Honkai is no exception. I remember one time when I was rescuing Honkai victims, I ran into a bunch of people who revered Honkai as a miracle... they made it difficult for us."
"According to them, being killed by Honkai is like returning to the god's embrace, which will purify their souls... Fuxi, what are you doing?"
"I'm asking if Nuwa knows about this."
"..."
"And what's... Nuwa doing?"
"She's asking everyone in the research workshop if they know about this... Oh, Dr. Mobius muted her."
"..."
Break from the Binding[ | ]
- Last updated: 2022-05-18
- Requirement: This Flame-Chaser's Remembrance Vessel reaches Lv.
The Herrscher of Binding.
Using Honkai energies, it created a pocket dimension in which Honkai energy was rejected. This paradoxical ability was completely outside anyone's expectations.
Humanity would pay the price for that.
...
...
What were one's dying moments to be used for? To grasp that one chance for victory, or to allow oneself to die in a peaceful dreamscape?
Both voices rang across the young woman's mind all at once.
"This is too cruel, don't you think?"
"Last chance. You can use Fenghuang Down's throughput to give yourself a sweet dream. Duration..."
"...Forever."
"No... I want to use it some other way."
"You'll forget why you did this today. Are you alright with that?"
"I don't care."
"You'll forget 'yourself' too... is that alright?"
"It is."
"..."
"One day, you will know the weight of the decision you're making."
"But till that day comes..."
"Fenghuang Down, Level 1 output... Go on, take it."
One of the voices dissipated.
The seeds of the past flowed away along with it.
And yet the young woman's resolve grew clearer as a result. She knew what she wanted to do. What she had to do... Even if it was just for a moment.
...
Before she could lose consciousness utterly, she saw violet crystalline flower enfold her, and through the crevices of the flower's petals, she could see a ball of flame.
That flame descended from the heaven as if making to destroy everything... Even the deathly silence that surrounded her.
"You've done it, Hua."
"We've sacrificed too much. Now..."
"The time has come to pay it all back."
Drift Apart[ | ]
- Last updated: 2022-05-18
- Requirement: This Flame-Chaser's Remembrance Vessel reaches Lv.
Mobius rarely came to the operating table after that incident.
However, since the disaster at hand was entirely of her own making, she had to make amends.
"Doctor, this isn't your first time making such a mistake."
"You know that sealing the 12th Herrscher has taken a heavy toll on us. But you still conducted unauthorized research without anyone knowing."
"We can't afford a trial-and-error approach, Doctor."
"If Hua never wakes up again, the consequences... may very well be too grave for any of us to bear."
In the blinding light, the one lying on the operating table was none other than the comatose Hua.
"Consequences? Heh, what can they be? Sentencing me to death?"
"Save your breath, they simply can't do it... and won't do it."
"Like you said, Fuxi, we're close to having nothing to lose... the same goes for this life of mine."
"And desperate times call for desperate measures... taught you that."
She took the instrument that was passed to her as she spoke.
"MEI's direction was wrong from the start... Making it into a Divine Key is an utter waste."
"... But yours may not be the right one either, Doctor."
"I don't understand... transforming all surviving humans into a virus-like life form similar to the 12th Herrscher... How is it different from wiping out the human race?"
"..."
"Then how is what we're doing now any different from what we've done?"
"..."
"You may be able to deny your own existence, Fuxi."
"What you can't deny is that the concept of humanity will never be limited to a fixed form."
"Whether it's MANTIS or Project Stigma... we've opened that door for a long, long time ago."
"..."
"Doctor, after this operation, I'd like to take Nuwa... away from your lab."
"..."
"Sure, you can go wherever you want."
"But for now, do your duty as my assistant. Focus on the surgery and we might be able to save her."
"... Yes, Doctor."
...
...
...
...
On the operating table, Hua finally opened her eyes, but quickly snapped them shut again in the glare of the surgical lights.
"How do you feel, Hua? Can you hear me? I'm Mobius."
"..."
"Learn how to control your body, Hua. It still belongs to you."
"..."
"And if you remember, Hua, tell me..."
"What did you see when you were possessed by her?"
"..."
"...A dark space. There was nothing."
"Except for a little girl... sitting there the whole time... crying in the void."
Psychotherapy[ | ]
- Last updated: 2022-05-18
- Requirement: This Flame-Chaser's Remembrance Vessel reaches Lv.
"... Let's do it again."
"Hua, you have to trust me. We can't make any progress if you're so wary of me."
"..."
"I'll try."
"Then close your eyes again."
"Don't dear the darkness before you. Relax."
"Now tell me what you see."
"Ice."
"I see ice, red ice... red ice is everywhere."
"No, before that."
"What did you see before all the ice appeared?"
"..."
"Relax, Hua. I know you can do it, it's right there."
"You're there."
"..."
"I saw a... playground."
"Spotlights swept past my feet... A girl sat next to me. I think she was talking to me... I couldn't make out what she said."
"No, Hua, not that far back. Give it another thought."
"After carrying the unconscious Kalpas to Mobius, you didn't evacuate."
"You returned to that dangerous battlefield, didn't you?"
"..."
"Yes."
"You didn't even flinch at the 11th Herrscher."
"We detected the energy reaction of the 8th Divine Key there. Think harder, Hua, what exactly did you do with it?"
"It's something only you can do... you should be able to remember."
"..."
"Fenghuang Down... Level 1 output."
"I found her, the 11th Herrscher..."
"We defeated her."
"Yes, Hua, you did it."
"You gave us the only chance to pull humanity back from the brink of extinction."
"..."
After contemplating this for a moment, the girl finally sat up in bed, but her eyes were still dull and hazy, as if cloaked in a fog.
"So this is the price..."
The girl looked at her empty palm, and then the man dressed as doctor.
Her eyes were still rather empty, seemingly insensitive to her surroundings.
"Su... how long have I slept?"
"About 120 hours."
"Don't worry, Hua, it's all over."
"Welcome back."
"..."
"Fenghuang Down's Level 1 output... In all honesty, no one predicted it would damage the user's brain so severely."
"I'll do my best to help you recover, but it'll take a lot of time... Hua? Where are you going?"
The girl got out of the hospital bed and walked out of the consulting room.
"I want to go for a walk outside... Su, there's still an outside, right?"
"..."
"Well, we lost many things, but not everything."
"..."
The girl left the consulting room.
She had not been able retrieve all her memories, which was the price she paid, and in fact that was the only thing she remembered.
So she decided to witness everything with her own eyes.
To witness the tragedy that ended long ago, to witness... her own role in the tragedy.
Codename L10-461[ | ]
- Last updated: 2022-05-18
- Requirement: This Flame-Chaser's Remembrance Vessel reaches Lv.
"Yes, Hua. We've killed him hundreds of times."
"However, unlike the other duplicates of the 10th Herrscher, he showed no signs of wanting to commit suicide."
As the two of them walked down the corridor, the sounds of their footsteps were in perfect sync.
"It was you who stopped him, so I wanted you to come along."
"L10-461, right?"
"If I remembered correctly, he possesses a fraction of the Herrscher of Death's abilities, and even those have been severely weakened."
"But even so, we couldn't kill him. I think that tells us something."
"..."
"...Have you confirmed his identity, Su?"
"Well, your impression was not wrong. He's indeed one of the MOTHs - Emile, the adjutant of Kalpas."
The sound of their footsteps stopped, and the girl fell silent for a while.
Another Herrscher, another familiar name.
Would she make the same choice that he did?
She did not know.
"Here we are, Hua."
"Let me do it, this place requires different credentials."
The thick metal door slowly opened.
The two subconsciously held their breath as they laid eyes on the interior.
The door that they opened was the only thing left in this underground cell.
Everything else had been obliterated. A dark tunnel that led to nowhere persisted.
"Did... Kalpas take him away? Or..."
"..."
"You stay here, Su. I'll think of a way to stop him."
"Hua, if it was really Kalpas who took him..."
"I believe it has nothing to do with Kalpas."
"But... I hope he never learns of this."
"Su, please stay at the base and make sure Kalpas doesn't find out... I'll be back soon."
0%[ | ]
- Last updated: 2022-05-18
- Requirement: This Flame-Chaser's Remembrance Vessel reaches Lv.
"Dr. Mobius, what can I do for you?"
"Ah... nothing. I just want to chat, do some bonding."
"Sit over here. We know each other so well that there's no need for courtesies."
The girl hesitated for a moment and sat down on the wide bench.
With no backrest or cushion, it was rather uncomfortable to sit on.
"... You can be straight with me, Dr. Mobius."
"I know you didn't come for small talk."
"C'mon, loosen up a little, Hua. I just wanted to talk about what's been going on lately."
"I heard that... the SWARA experiment performed on you finally succeeded?"
"... Yeah."
"That's really something."
"If I remember correctly, the techniques being applied should be highly flawed... The survival rate is so law that it's negligible."
"Things did happen. But thanks to Dr. MEI, the experiment was a success."
"Ah... Dr. MEI."
"I think the person who deserves credit isn't Dr. MEI, but you, Hua."
"You're the first person to successful awaken the ICHOR through the Meta-Morph preparation, and the first person to survive the SWARA experiment..."
"Hua, do you suppose... you're fundamentally different from regular humans? Like you have a special constitution?"
The shadow of the scholar tormented by curiosity slithered in the light like a snake.
"Maybe... I was only a bit luckier than others."
The girl unconsciously looked to the ground.
It was a habit of hers - when discussing things related to herself, she would always bow her head to avoid eye contact.
And it was at this point that the girl suddenly realized something.
The bench was sitting on... was not just a bench.
"Luck? Heheh..."
"I never believed in luck, but I will validate your hypothesis."
"Validate... what?"
The girl raised her head and unexpectedly met the scholar's serpent-like eyes.
"Hmm... Actually, Hua, I did have something in mind when I came to see you today."
The scholar moved closer to the girl on the bench, her glinting reptilian eyes reflecting the girl's wary countenance.
"What I have here is an intriguing experiment, and I hope you can assist me."
"Though no subject has survived so far, if your claim is true... Heheh..."
"We'll surely succeed, right?"
Eternal Doom[ | ]
- Last updated: 2022-05-18
- Requirement: This Flame-Chaser's Remembrance Vessel reaches Lv.
When Hua pushed open the door, the man was already standing there.
He was facing the iron wall, his trademark mask casually tossed at his feet.
"I thought Sakura would come."
"Kalpas, I feel equally sorry for that incident. But... you should take responsibility for what you've done."
"Then bring it on!"
"..."
"No, not yet. You misunderstand where I'm coming from, Kalpas."
"If I came to hold you accountable, I wouldn't be alone."
"It's not something I can do by myself."
"Heh, you're a sensible one."
"Ah, wait... I remember who you are, your name... is it Hua?"
"You've come just in time. For the past few days, I've been wanting to ask you whether your squad leader spoke to you before she was killed by Kevin."
"..."
"You're trying to provoke me, Kalpas."
"But I'm not going to fight you. In the face of a greater foe, infighting is deadlier than ever."
"What about Emile? Did he say anything? Did he beg for mercy? Did he let out a wail? Did he... pour out his pain to you...!?"
"...Pain like what you're about to suffer."
"..."
"You should ask Kevin about it. Only he knows everything that happened on the P-21 sea and the real fate of the two hundred Herrscher duplicates. And I need you to calm down, Kalpas. You're not a beast."
"Perhaps... But not now."
The man finally turned around and closed in on her.
Footprints and scorch marks, fueled by the man's anger, scarred the steel floor...
Then the man suddenly fell headlong to the ground.
Hua subconsciously took half a step backward, as if trying to avoid the boundary that divided life and death gaping between herself and the man.
"Is she here already?"
"The 11th Herrscher... her influence is still expanding?"
Cosmic Juggernaut[ | ]
- Last updated: 2022-05-18
- Requirement: This Flame-Chaser's Remembrance Vessel reaches Lv.
"Hua! This way! Over here! Seriously... Why are you late again?"
"I'm sorry, it took a while for me to correct the fighting stance of some students."
"So typical of you to only care about your dojo."
"Sorry..."
"Okay, apology accepted. Hurry up, the movie's about to start."
...
...
\ [sic]"Wow... the protagonist of this movie is so badass!"
"A Celestial who protects the world for millions of years... I want to be as great as her. Hua, what about you?"
"I..."
The movie had just ended so the viewers were still making their way out of the theater.
Her excited friend was talking much louder than usual.
Hua, who was already quite withdrawn, felt slightly embarrassed.
Her friend did not seem to notice the awkwardness.
"Tell me, tell me!"
"I... I just want to be myself."
"Hua... you're so boring."
"Aren't you yourself right now? You'll still be yourself tomorrow! You're weird..."
"Forget it, let's get going, the next movie is about to start!"
...
...
The girl quietly watched everything unfold.
She watched her other self live in that world. She watched her unremarkable life. She watched that world dissolve into bubbles.
"Su, is this... the Cosmic Juggernaut?"
"That's me in another bubble universe... which means I can become her."
"... Hua, you must look beneath the surface."
"It's another world. The gap between it and ours is perhaps more impassible than time itself."
"I understand, Su."
"...Thank you. Farewell."
The girl left.
"..."
"I'm sorry, Hua. I can't let you see anything more."
The man loosened his clasped hands.
On the lead that had been hidden between his palms, the veins extended halfway and then cut off abruptly.
"Before observing this bubble universe, I didn't think you'd become a Herrscher for that reason, either."
"..."
"Hua, are you... truly as strong as we believe?"
Rewind[ | ]
- Last updated: 2022-05-18
- Requirement: This Flame-Chaser's Remembrance Vessel reaches Lv.
"Rewind to 49 minutes and 15 seconds. What happened there?"
"Hua is in the corridor outside the lab, Dr. MEI. She seems to be getting ready to pursue something."
"...And the Key of Domination?"
"It's in her hand, but it's already broken."
"..."
"Rewind further, slow the footage down 20 times."
"..."
"At 47 minutes and 23 seconds, a black shadow break the Key of Domination in Hua's hand."
"..."
"Slow the footage by 160 times. Let's watch that again."
"..."
"This... Dr. MEI, the one who broke the Key of Domination is... Kalpas."
"..."
"Then what?"
"At 47 minutes and 30 seconds, Kalpas... He picks up the broken half of the Key."
"The recording... also shows that Kalpas's body also shows signs of an ICHOR reaction. However, this reaction ends at 47 minutes and 42 seconds."
"But Dr. MEI... Didn't you forbid Kalpas from participating in anything related to 'Meta-Morph' serums..."
"..."
Upon hearing these words, Dr. MEI took the optical convalescence device off and approached the screen.
After a moment, she sighed deeply before slumping back in her seat.
"Dr. MEI, are you alright?"
"I'm alright... Don't worry about me."
"Please help me issue the following orders... Kalpas is strictly forbidden from making contact with any Key of Domination in any shape or form from now on. No, even the Divine Keys... He is also forbidden from making contact with them in any way whatsoever."
"Also, ask Hua to make time to come over to my lab. I have things to ask her."
"No, wait... It might be best to contact Mobius first. Ask her to come here now... Yes, immediately."
Fire[ | ]
- Last updated: 2022-05-18
- Requirement: This Flame-Chaser's Remembrance Vessel reaches Lv.
The flames burned on.
It was all ruins and wreckages where eyes could see.
Heavy smoke rose up with the blazing fire and painted the entire sky dark red.
Like blood, like death.
"Are you alright?"
Hua almost fell into a stupor.
Sitting against a broken wall, she tried her best to stay awake.
So did the person on the other side of the wall.
"...Hmm, I'm fine."
An elegant, melodious female voice responded from across the wall.
It sounded like music from heaven.
"You were the performer on stage, right? Was this your concert?"
"Hmm, yes."
"But now... everything has come to an end."
"Fire consumed everything before me. The stage crumbled and the audience scattered. My music was defeated by screams and wails."
"..."
"Sorry, if only I could come sooner..."
- No, nothing would have changed even if I came sooner.
- I'm just an ordinary soldier... the last one in the squad.
- She knew she [sic] alone...
"Sorry for not being able to do anything..."
"But you saved me, and that's something, right?"
"..."
"If you didn't break the falling beam, I might have been burned to ashes like the others."
"..."
"I just happened to be there."
"But I still owe you my gratitude, strange soldier."
"..."
Hua didn't answer. Instead, she lifted her head and looked at the gloomy sky.
- Soldier? Can I still be called a soldier?
She didn't know how to answer herself.
And the one who could had gone.
Everything was just like the sky.
Grim and bleak.
"You seem to be afraid of something."
The stranger on the other side said.
"I can feel you're a brave soul, and in your voice, I found courage and persistence."
"But I also found your confusion and fear."
"Are you afraid of the fire?"
"..."
"Maybe..."
Hua sighed deeply and lowered her head to look at the scorched ground.
"I just want to get away... from the flames... from her."
"Her?"
"..."
Hua took a deep breath and the burning air almost melted her lungs.
"She saved me, but she is also the culprit who caused the fire..."
"Leader of MOTH Squad 5, Himeko."
"She saved me and taught me how to fight, how to survive..."
"She brought me into Squad 5, gave me a new life, a new dream... and..."
"She turned into a monster right before my eyes."
"Monster?"
"The 7th Herrscher who can manipulate fire."
"Ah, sorry, civilians probably don't know what a Herrscher is."
"But to be honest, even I don't have a good idea."
"..."
"I don't know where it came from or why it did all this..."
"I don't know of all people, why it had to be her."
"She was turned into someone completely different. She killed everyone in the squad, and I only survived because I was not as badly wounded."
"She greeted me like usual with her typical smile, and the next moment, her attack almost took my life."
"I don't know why things would be this way... I survived, but what should I do?"
"I don't know where I should go... or how I can stop her... I don't know anything."
"I don't even know if I should live on."
"..."
"Ah..."
A long sigh passed over the wall.
"...Sorry for bringing up terrible memories."
"I understand... I just experienced it myself."
"Watching everything I know and cherish perish before me."
"Sorrow, despair, and hopelessness... they keep choking me and making it hard for me to breathe."
"Just now... I was still trying to make sure... was this reality, or just a cruel nightmare?"
"But the flames reminded me of the harsh truth."
"The burning pain is real. The cries of the audience are real. The despair of losing everything I have is also real."
"They can kill someone ten times over, but thanks to you, I'm alive."
"And I don't think my survival is a mistake."
"At least, I can feel the pain and sufferings... and remember their despair... my despair."
"The past is no more, but I still can remember this moment."
"This is what I can do right now."
"..."
"Sorry for bothering you with my gibberish. It's just how I am. Always talk too much."
"No, you're right."
"As long as I'm alive, there's gotta be something I can do. Something I have to do."
"Are you leaving?"
"Hmm, I'm going back to my squad leader."
"I want to ask her... whether it is her in that body, or the monster named Herrscher."
"I want to find out it there's still a chance for me to save her."
"..."
"Take care, brave soldier."
"Hmm."
"Don't worry, help is on the way..."
Hua's voice stopped abruptly.
She suddenly realized something - the cracking sound of burning around her had all gone.
Dead silence.
She looked to the horizon. Over the smoke, she could see white frost sweeping over from afar and blooming into small ice flowers on the scorched earth.
She rose up and ran to the horizon.
But this time, she was too late again.
When she arrived, the flames were quenched by hard ice.
No more heat. No more sound.
The Fledgling & the Snake[ | ]
- Last updated: 2022-05-18
- Requirement: This Flame-Chaser's Remembrance Vessel reaches Lv.
"Clank... clink..."
In the vacant lab, nothing could be heard except the clash of surgical equipment.
Mobius was cleaning up the "battle ground" from yesterday alone. In the past, she would definitely be more gentle with the equipment, but the tough battle had worn her out.
After all... it was an experiment on the Herrscher of Corruption.
When recalling Hua's performance, Mobius couldn't help but curve her lips upward.
Of course, typically, anyone around her who saw this smile on her would be highly alerted.
Fortunately, she was alone in the lab.
Nuwa and Fuxi had all left, and Klein was busy handling the taking over of the Golden Courtyard.
But her smile didn't last.
The thrill of the experiment soon faded, and the heavy toll her body took kicked in.
She drew a deep breath and collapsed on her chair.
She labored hard to breathe and tore her dress apart with all her strength.
The wound on her abdomen was striking. Her arms, legs, and anywhere else were "etched" with ominous black patterns.
Wounds, or poison gifted by the Herrscher of Corruption.
Mobius was someone who never revealed her plan to anyone else beforehand.
In her eyes, the best test subject was always herself - she was always ready to lie on the operating table and would never resist.
But this time, however, the Herrscher of Corruption seemed to be strongly hostile towards her, which forced her to consider Hua - the young, innocent, and confused girl.
Mobius didn't believe in luck, but even she had to admit Hua was lucky.
The Herrscher of Corruption accepted Hua readily.
It was like the Herrscher's hostility towards Mobius never existed.
Without any doubt, the experiment wasn't fully successful, but failure wasn't an accurate description either.
Hua's words and Mobius's observation data all pointed to the same conclusion: there was some kind of unknown possibility lying in that void.
Thinking of this, Mobius became visibly energetic. She changed her dress and went to the ward.
...
...
...
"...Dr. Mobius?"
Hua opened her eyes and saw Mobius observing her intently with a caring smile.
Hua's gut instinct pushed her to the inner part of the bed.
"What is it?"
"I came to check how you had recovered."
Mobius supported her arm with the bed and approached Hua naturally, which made Hua begin to regret moving inward." [sic]
Within a distance of mere inches, Mobius closely inspected Hua and examined every change in her body.
"Hmm, you recovered even faster than I expected. Your self-recovery is becoming ever stronger."
"Looks like I picked the right Honkai Beast for you. Without it, you couldn't have gone this far."
"If humanity is faced with extinction, it would be just pain that comes to us."
"So, to stop the dire fate, I'll do everything I can."
"So will you, right, Hua?"
"..."
"Dr. Mobius, what did you come here for?"
"Oh..."
Mobius put her face even closer to Hua's and her snake eyes reflected Hua's nervous look.
"Of course I came to finish what we started yesterday."
"..."
"Our experiment isn't over yet, Hua."
"You're the best candidate, and I need your further assistance."
"..."
Hua sighed and closed her eyes.
"When?"
"Now."
Ball[ | ]
- Last updated: 2022-05-18
- Requirement: This Flame-Chaser's Remembrance Vessel reaches Lv. 11
"...Hmm, things are getting worse in Australia. You need to be more careful on your next mission."
"Rest your worries. You know me. I'll keep them safe."
"A Herrscher with a human mind... Are you sure it wasn't your illusion? I remember her... you used to..."
"..."
"..."
"Ah, I knew it was you who coaxed Kevin into coming here, Elysia."
"..."
"..."
Hua tried hard to listen in, but she only got pieces and fragments.
The party was too noisy and she was too far away from them.
Standing by the table, Hua was holding a glass of wine which she had no idea who handed to her.
She didn't know if she should drink it - she was more than nervous.
She had no experience in such a social setting. She didn't know what to say, or what to do.
So, she could only stand tall and try to look decent while waiting for her squad leader to finish her conversation.
At last, after a few more words with the pink-haired girl, her squad leader returned.
"Sorry, Hua. It took longer than I intended."
"It's alright, Captain."
"How do you feel? Did anyone come to talk to you?"
"...Not yet."
"Haha, you could have come to me and say hi to Kevin and Elysia."
"Huh?"
"Don't get nervous. Making some new friends won't hurt."
"Besides, I think you have no less potential than them. Maybe you'll be able to leave Squad 5 and join them soon."
"Don't make fun of me, Squad Leader..."
Hua shook her head as the woman gave her a sly smile.
Music rose and flowed over every corner of the hall.
"Alright, Hua..."
She took the glass in Hua's hand and put it on the table.
"Just have some fun and loosen up. I told you today is for celebration."
"The party is beginning soon, and you don't get a dancing partner if you stay mute."
"No... Squad Leader..."
"What?"
"I... I can't dance..."
"..."
"...That was unexpected."
"Sorry."
"It's nothing to be sorry for, Hua."
"You didn't turn down my invitation even though you can't dance, which means you're braver than before, right?"
"It's a good start. As for the party... there are many ways to have fun."
"Anyway, just do what you want to do, Hua."
"Something you like to do, something you can do... you don't have to be here. Just learn to relax and have fun."
...
...
...
Eventually, Hua didn't step onto the dancing floor throughout the first ball she ever attended.
She picked a corner to sit down and watch the people gathered at the center of the hall.
They moved their body joyfully to the music. And as usual, her squad leader soon became the center of attention.
Even from a distance, Hua could see her fiery red hair and snowy white neck. The passionate red set every heart ablaze.
"..."
"Maybe... I'm being too passive. Squad Leader is right... at least tonight, I shouldn't be a spoilsport."
"Next time... hmm, before that, I'll ask her to teach me how to dance. I don't know if it's hard... should be similar to fighting moves."
"..."
"Hmm... definitely next time."
Mortal's Memory[ | ]
The Cat of Sundown Alley[ | ]
- Last updated: 2022-05-19
- Requirement: This Flame-Chaser's Remembrance Vessel reaches Lv. 2
"This way."
The little boy opens the warehouse door of the shelter with the key.
Just a minute ago, he was still worried about the work he had received. But after meeting "Mr. Mask", he felt like his savior had come.
"These boxes have to be moved to the dean's room on the third floor before sunset. Let's divvy it up..."
The man waves and motions him to leave. The boy understands that he is going to handle all the boxes alone. "Mr. Mask" is a man of few words, but he's kindhearted. Every child knows that.
Suddenly, the man stops.
The boy couldn't see his eyes behind the wooden mask, but he can tell that he is looking past him and directly into the depths of the warehouse. Seems like something has caught his eye...
"Oh... It's probably a stray cat that got lost. He often runs in here. I'll shoo him away."
"..."
The man doesn't say anything. Instead, he carries all the boxes on one shoulder and leaves.
The boy watches him walk away before slowly entering the warehouse.
"Huh..."
Sure enough, in the corner of the room, a girl with brown hair is lying on the cargo pile and snoring, unaware that she had just brushed elbows with the same life-threatening crisis as the boy.
The boy doesn't know who she is, but he probably knows why she is here.
He pokes her head.
"Don't take it... That's my can..."
She continues talking in her sleep, so he pokes her harder.
"Ow...! That hurts... Huh? I fell asleep... Who are you?"
He sees that she isn't much older than himself.
"Are you what people call the 'Sundown Alley Thief'?"
"Huh?"
"I saw you here last month, too. After that, there were several more boxes of food in the warehouse."
"Oh... You're a child from the shelter."
The girl finally wakes up.
"I heard rumors a Sundown Alley Thief that steals from the rick and helps the poor, and also steals treasure from bad people."
"Ugh, why are people say that? I can't handle that kind of responsibility...? I can't handle the stress."
"You're here to deliver more supplies today, aren't you? I can always tell if there's something up with our stock."
"Well, you'd better pretend you didn't see me. Keep it a secret for me, okay? If I get caught, I won't be able to come back..."
"Then... Why don't you come live with us? I didn't expect you to be my age."
The girl's eyes pause with hesitation.
But in the end, she shakes her head, smiles again and says...
"Forget it. If I stay here, I can't come and go as I please."
The boy nods.
"That's not my style. After all, I've got some big customers I need to hit up tonight!"
Bounty[ | ]
- Last updated: 2022-05-19
- Requirement: This Flame-Chaser's Remembrance Vessel reaches Lv. 3
[Bounty]
Recently, a girl with brownish yellow hair has haunted the streets. She snuck into major warehouses as a businessman in the cover of night and looted all of their property. She often haunts Goldmire Avenue in ■■ District, under Fortune Bridge, and around ■■ Church. The photos are as follows—
If anyone sees the thief, please catch her or inform ■■■ ASAP.
Reward Amount: ■■■■■■■
...
"Well, Eden, I sure hit it big!"
"Well, did they finally catch you?"
"I wouldn't be here talking with you if they did now, would I?"
"Haha, here's to you, the righteous Sundown Alley Thief. But... Why did you take this bounty poster? Is it to commemorate the moment?"
"No, it's not that."
Pardofelis spreads out the yellow and wrinkled bounty in her hand, some of which is blurry.
But the girl in the pictures stares at the camera with wide eyes as if looking into her gaze.
"Hehe, it's because I don't have a picture of myself when I was a child. This is the only one."
Stars at Night[ | ]
- Last updated: 2022-05-19
- Requirement: This Flame-Chaser's Remembrance Vessel reaches Lv. 4
"Move to the left, and then to the right... Oh, that's how you avoid the iron spikes on the wall. You're so smart!"
The black cat in the night turned its head and looked back at the girl in raggedy clothes. The cat blinked with an expression of "whatever" after being followed for two blocks.
"Hey, hey! I see you with a chubby stomach every morning. Where do you get such big dinners?"
It looked forward and continued into the night.
"Ah, wait for me!"
In just one night, she learned a lot with her observation skills.
"...Oh, so that's why you never make a sound when you land."
"...First you hop, then you jump, then you're up on the tree."
"...And before you jump, you wag your butt, so you can jump higher!"
···
The cat walked through the streets, climbed into a window and entered the room... it was walked faster and faster, but she also followed closer and closer.
Finally, as if determined, the black cat jumped up a high wall and climbed into a high window where it sat with an elegant and vigorous move. No matter how talented she was, the high wall was out of reach for her.
"Eh? You... You cheated!"
She blew a raspberry and complained to her "teacher."
The cat up above looked back at her with some pride. Its eyes shone bright in the dark, like stars in the night.
Immediately, the two starts disappeared.
...
She stood still, full of anger and discontentment... and even a hint of bitterness.
Once again, ever since she could remember, everyone had always left her like this. Pedestrians on the road, old vagrants that took care of her, or the warm sunshine at noon.
"But what does it matter?" She said to herself in her heart.
Sooner or later, I will find a place where I can bask in the sun every day, a place were I don't worry about food and clothing, and a...
"Clang!"
Something dropped in front of her.
"Is this... canned fish?"
"Meow!"
She looked up to see the pair of stars reappeared in the night.
Maybe even the black cat didn't understand why it pushed the food down the windowsill.
Was it because the girl's incessant pursuit reminded it of those clingy kittens, or because she took naps with their group every day that she was now regarded as a member?
It wasn't sure, and it didn't mine.
When it came back to her, she smiles and says, "Hey, wait! I'll be able to jump up there in no time!"
The black cat stretched and refused to say anything.
Of course, if it understood what she was saying, it would believe her for sure.
The Volunteer[ | ]
- Last updated: 2022-05-19
- Requirement: This Flame-Chaser's Remembrance Vessel reaches Lv. 5
"What's your name?"
"Huh? Par... Par..."
"Don't be afraid! It'll be over soon."
The worker in a white coat feels pity for the "volunteer" in front of her and puts aside the volunteer form in her hand.
Although she knows that people come here out of their own free will, she inevitably feels pity for the people on the operating table since the roll-out of the Meta-Morph surgery.
But she didn't know that at this time, the "volunteer" had a completely different—
What's going on?!
I just wanted to sneak into the MOTHs' base to snatch up some goods. Why was I brought here onto the operating table for no reason?
Are you going to torture me? No, they didn't tie my hands and feet. But what is that woman doing in a white coat!
"Do you think that if this risk pay off, you'll be able to eat and drink your fill without any worries?"
"What? Uh··· yeah, that's right···(How does she know that I came here looking for supplies?!)"
"It's okay. There's no shame in admitting it. Most people here think that, too."
"···R-really? (Why is the competition in this industry so fierce recently?) [sic]
"Do you think you might impress everyone by going through with this?"
"Uh... Maybe... (The boss who buys me stuff will sure be surprised.)"
The worker glances sympathetically at the girl on the operating table.
"Let me confirm one last time. The success rate is quite low. You still have time... to leave."
"It's... that risky? (What's so valuable that it's worth the risk?!)"
"But... If you insist, I will try my best to help you."
"Huh? (All this time only to find out we're in the same business!) [sic]
"Have you made up your mind? This may be your last chance. You can go back and continue with your life."
The worker puts on her gloves and waits for the "volunteer" in front of the operating table to answer.
She knows that those who volunteer to join MANTIS are either soldiers or gamblers at heart. This one, it seems, is the latter.
For people like her, most of what they say before sleep has become the last words of their life.
The operating table has become an alter, and she was like a priest who listens to their prayers.
"Okay! I'll leave it your hands!"
Hearing her agreement, she's a little taken aback. Among so many people on their journey into the unknown, she was the only one with a positive attitude.
"Okay... Then relax and close your eyes. Soon... It will be over.
Pardofelis: Life Achievements[ | ]
- Last updated: 2022-05-19
- Requirement: This Flame-Chaser's Remembrance Vessel reaches Lv. 6
Collect all coins: Complete ✓
Collect all kinds of canned: Complete ✓
Collect all MOTH uniforms: Complete ✓
Escape all MOTH meetings: Incomplete ✖ (Always caught by Elysia and Kevin)
Decipher Vill-V's magic 1 time: Incomplete ✖
Collect a mask from Kalpas: Incomplete ✖
Gather all gems from Eden: Incomplete ✖ (Way too many!)
Live a comfortable life with food and drink. Catch from rays each day: Complete ✓
Wait for Eden to give me the Golden Garden: Incomplete ✖
...
"Pardofelis, some of your 'life achievements'... Seem a bit hard to achieve."
"Really? That's okay. There's only motivation when there's a challenge. What about you, Fu Hua? Have you set any goals for yourself?"
"Um... Sorry, not yet. If I have to say, let's start with 'handling a mission alone'."
"What are you talking about? That's absolutely impossible!"
"... Really?"
After Sundown[ | ]
- Last updated: 2022-05-19
- Requirement: This Flame-Chaser's Remembrance Vessel reaches Lv. 7
"Ugh..."
Pardofelis opens her drowsy eyes, and sees the crimson dark outside the window. She feels like she had been in a come for a long time. Even her tail is as listless as when she was still unconscious.
What happened? Was I jabbed by the enemy's poison needle on the battlefield? Or did I get an infection out in the wetlands? She can only remember that she spent several days in a hospital bed.
I can't remember, but... something doesn't feel right.
It's too quiet. I can't hear a single word. Don't I have two large ears?
But no matter how long I hold my breath and keep quiet, I can't hear anything.
"Vill-V? Joana...?"
She tries to shout the two names, which were her comrades who joined MANTIS at the same time. She had a good relationship with them as early as the first mission. She remembered that she had brought them back for dinner before she went unconscious.
"Mira...?"
This is her new friend since she joined the team. It seems that she formed a team with her last battle. If I was knocked unconscious by a Honkai... Is Mira okay?
But there is still no response.
Strange··· Where has everyone gone?
While walking around the base, Pardofelis makes her own guess:
A large-scale drill in the training room? — No one. The system is off.
A group meal in the canteen? — No one. Not even the sound of the stove.
Did they transfer bases? Is this place abandoned? — Indeed. Combat equipment and vehicles are almost all gone. Only one combat notice scrolls on each screen, indicating a striking word.
"Herrscher".
She feels like her nerves are injected with a dose of poison.
A new Herrscher has awakened?
Did they destroy the world, leaving me alone?
She inexplicably quickens her pace.
Finally, in the command room, she finds several liaison officers lying on the table still breathing, but only breathing.
They had witnessed the "tragedy", causing a cloud of silence to hover over the room since then. They lie on the table because they had lost all "hope" in the silence.
When Pardofelis opens the door, they just raise their heads.
There is a flash of surprise, but then they are overcome with despair once again. They had already lost their souls.
A wandering soul floats over and relays the bad news to Pardofelis.
"Gone... What do you mean...?"
He doesn't even have the strength to shake his head to answer her question.
Improve You [sic] Luck[ | ]
- Last updated: 2022-05-19
- Requirement: This Flame-Chaser's Remembrance Vessel reaches Lv. 8
Preface: The following content is written in combination with the author's personal experience to ensure its usefulness! I found some treasure this morning!
Article 1: Keep your head down when you walk, so you can find money!
Article 2: When passing by a vending machine, squat down and have a look. You might find some coins in the coin slot!
Article 3: You can always find good things by walking with cats!
Article 4: Put a coin in your breast pocket to stop a bullet when it matters most.
...
Article 51: Run away when you encounter too strong of an enemy. It's important to stay alive.
Article 52: If you chat with Eden often, you will get a lot of gems.
Article 53: Stay away from Kalpas.
...
"It's not so much about luck... It's all about how to make yourself richer, Pardofelis."
"Alright, that's about it. Got it, Fu Hua~?"
"Well... Maybe these methods only work for Pardofelis."
"Huh? Really? Isn't it... Uh, Fu Hua. What did you say before... Sincerity is spirit?"
"No, that's not it..."
So Simple[ | ]
- Last updated: 2022-05-19
- Requirement: This Flame-Chaser's Remembrance Vessel reaches Lv. 9
"According to the investigation results of Pardofelis, this mission will be quite the challenge···"
In a silent night, the moon doesn't show its face.
Under the cover of darkness, Pardofelis is listening to the team captain's detailed description of the mission.
"...The biological samples we want to capture are stored in the laboratory's safe."
The uncertainty in her captain's voice makes Pardofelis feel ill at ease.
The building in front is heavily guarded by armed soldiers.
Additionally, the organization doesn't want casualties while on this mission in the city center.
"As you can guess, our forces will be significantly outnumbered."
"Now that we all know the plan, we just need to work together."
Pardofelis knows why she was called to join the mission. The soldiers involved are all the same "type" as her.
So in her opinion, this "fortress" can't just be infiltrated with just planning and cooperation alone.
"We need to send someone over the electric grid and sneak into their control system... [sic]
Electric··· grid?! I can't let my tail get burned to a crisp! Pardofelis shivers.
"...Once everyone had infiltrated the building, we'll quickly locate the safe. The informant just provided new information that it was placed eight floors underground..."
...Eight floors underground...? — A question mark floats across Pardofelis's mind.
"...But the next step is the hardest. The safe is made of a special material and equipped with an advanced anti-theft system. Time is of the essence. In the worst case scenario···"
"Um..."
The team captain stops and looks at the team member who makes a strange sound.
"What's the problem, Pardofelis?"
"Um... N-nothing! Continue!"
The team captain sighs.
"In the worst case scenario, we'll have to use some 'extreme' measures. But doing so may damage the test tubes storing the samples, which will inevitably put us in danger..."
"Sorry..."
The team captain stops again and looks back at the team member who makes a strange sound.
"This is the second time."
"Excuse me... Is our objective this time a metal vacuum box containing several green reagents?"
"Yes, but I haven't mentioned that part yet. How did you know?"
"..."
"E-excuse me, is this the case?"
"···?"
"So... Um, Captain—"
"Didn't you send me there to investigate the basement yesterday...? A soldier was slacking on the job, so I snuck in... Then... And..."
"..."
"... Can we go back?"Um, Captain-" [sic]
"Didn't you send me there to explore the basement...? A solfier was slacking on the job, so I snuck in... Then... And... [sic]
"..." [sic]
"... Can we go back? " [sic]
Flame-Chasers[ | ]
- Last updated: 2022-05-19
- Requirement: This Flame-Chaser's Remembrance Vessel reaches Lv. 10
"Here... Sakura. This is the snack I promised to find for you. You don't know how hard it was to find... No one can make 'sakura mochi' anymore···"
All that the 12th Herrscher left behind was radiated land, destroyed towns, and tombstones just like this.
Pardofelis stands in front of a tombstone, puts her condolences on it and reaches out to gently touch the cold stone.
She feels this was nothing at all like the Sakura of her memory. Sakura... You may have looked cold and indifferent on the outside, but you had a warm and kind heart on the inside.
"I'm sorry... Sakura. If I were at the base at that time... Maybe I could've helped you get RIN out. Maybe... [sic]
All kinds of possibilities linger in her mind. The endless "what ifs" make her speechless.
"Do you remember, Sakura? I'm the only Flame-Chaser with two extra ears."
"I wanted to form an 'animal ear alliance' with you. But I wasn't expecting you to be allergic to cats when I first met you, so you were sneezing nonstop."
Speaking of this, Pardofelis found that she unconsciously hid her tail just now. She had this habit every time she was around Sakura.
"But even so, you kept saying how you wanted to introduce me to your sister, because she loves animals and cats."
"..."
"...Sakura. My heart is still broken..."
She looks at the tombstone in silence. A crystal flower grows up from the ground and blooms alone.
"I know I'm weak, but I'm good at opening locks and running away..."
"Had I known where she was··· I could've unlocked the prison door and climbed in through the ventilation system to take her away..."
"..."
"...You wouldn't have left me."
Pardofelis looks at the tombstone, but Sakura was obviously unable to respond.
"When Elysia came to me and asked me to join the Flame-Chasers, I wondered if she mistook me for someone else."
"But now I know that this kind of broken heart..."
"..."
"This really... This really feels worse than death."
The Final Treasure[ | ]
- Last updated: 2022-05-19
- Requirement: This Flame-Chaser's Remembrance Vessel reaches Lv. 11
"Crunch—! Crunch—!"
Under the light of the full moon, Pardofelis is digging something up with a shovel.
This is Sundown Alley, the place of her birth—or as least where she lived for as long as she could remember.
Or rather... It would be more accurate to say that "this *used* to be Sundown Alley."
She rarely had the chance to come back since joining MANTIS. Not just because there were many people here out to kill her, but also because there was nothing left for her except for memories of desolation and wandering.
"Crunch—! Crunch—!"
No one notices here, but now there aren't many people left in today's world.
The deeper she digs, the higher the dirt piles up around her. It feels like she's digging her own grave.
—No!
She shakes her head and her ears shudder, trying to throw that ominous idea out of her head.
Soon, she will go "there" with the others.
The round, bright, and silent moon hangs in the sky above.
This might be her last chance to bury these "treasures".
"Favorite cans, unique and crooked bottle caps, my bounty posters, and these worn-out team uniforms... [sic]
"Oh, no, cans can't... They'll expire over time."
Even though the box beside her is locked, she knows every "treasure" in it like the back of her hand.
It contains the treasures she found from childhood to adulthood and all of what she considered as her valuables.
—Well, okay. It's almost deep enough.
She wipes the sweat of her forehead and reluctantly touches the box of treasures beside her.
—She plans on burying it here for safe keeping until she comes back to dig it up at a later date.
"But why should I do this?" An ominous question pops into her mind.
—Just in case. Just in case... Right, my treasures can be saved for the next era... But when will they see the light of day?...
She stops thinking about this and carefully puts the box at the bottom of the hole with her muddy hands. Holding the shovel in her hands, she gazes at her treasures for some time as if reliving her past.
She scoops up a handful of soil and pours it on the box.
Suddenly, she feels a chill run through her body. It seems like she isn't pouring dirt on her box of treasures, but on... a "coffin".
—Dang it! What's going on?! Why am I thinking about all these things today!
Half angry and half trembling, she quickly buries the box and flattens the dirt on it.
—Alright! That should do it!
She drops her shovel and walks away. She decided that she will go there with others anyway...
As a member of the "Thirteen Flame-Chasers".
Despite the opposition of every hair on her body and the trembling of her muddy hands...
···She smiles for no reason.
"It'll be all right..."
"..."
"...We've always had Lady Luck on our side."
This is Sundown Alley, the place where she was born.
Even though moonlight shines upon the ruins, she can't see where she had buried her treasure.
It was like the shovel and the big hole had never been there···
···As if the people who once stood here had never existed.