Luo had chosen the evacuation route at random, while Basak had merely followed behind blindly, providing defense. Before they knew it, the route Luo had chosen—or rather, the place where they finally stopped—happened to be the patch of land from the photo in Basak's communicator, a place unlike the surrounding desolation and ruin, with clear water and lush green grass.
The instant Master Asia saw that scene, he froze. The stark contrast between ruin and new life struck his steadfast martial artist's heart. A desire to protect it, to let this newborn greenery and clear water spread across the entire world, surged up from the depths of his heart.
"Stop!" Master Asia suddenly shouted. He abandoned Rising Wind and leaped down from the sky. After flipping countless times in midair, he landed in a half-crouch, kicked off the ground again, and shot forward dozens of meters. His feet became two indistinct afterimages as he rushed into that patch of green.
When Luo slowly landed Red Astray outside the greenery and set Rising Wind down, he carefully studied the middle-aged man through the screen. The man was crouched on the ground, gently stroking the grass with his hand.
Luo could not truly share Master Asia's feelings as he looked at the greenery, but he could understand his actions. There were still green plains, forests, and pristine streams on Earth, but such places had become scarce, and they were steadily disappearing beneath the world's decay.
Even if there really were vast stretches of forest, they did not possess the boundless vitality of this place. Especially with nothing but wasteland all around, the greenery that had grown out of such a terrible environment, along with that clear pool of water, seemed all the more precious.
Through the screen, Luo saw Master Asia's expression