"Jun... Jun Xuan..."
Mei, who had finally recovered, looked at the boy holding her. Her voice was somewhat weak.
"I... I'm fine..."
Jun Xuan saved me again...
"Hmm? There are actually humans willing to stand on the Herrscher's side?"
The blonde woman on the other side also expressed her surprise at Dong Moxuan's appearance.
"And he's even a man. A man who can actually survive amid the Honkai... Such Honkai Energy adaptability... Tsk, tsk, tsk..."
After exclaiming twice, the woman spoke to Dong Moxuan.
"Boy, you probably don't know what kind of existence the woman beside you really is, do you?"
"She's the messenger chosen by the Honkai and the enemy of human civilization!"
"The tragedy currently unfolding in Changkong City was caused by her!"
"Your family, friends, and classmates all died because of her."
"Even so, are you still going to choose to stand on her side?"
"Cocolia, your talent for deceiving people hasn't diminished after all these years. In fact, it's improved!"
Hearing the familiar voice coming from the Titan, Dong Moxuan knew that meeting that person was unavoidable.
He could only let out a soft sigh and pull Mei to her feet.
"This Honkai was caused by Mei? Everyone's an adult here! Don't tell such an absurd lie, all right?"
"You..."
Hearing Dong Moxuan's voice, the blonde woman—Cocolia—shook violently, her expression as still as an ancient well.
As Dong Moxuan's face gradually appeared on the screen, the shock on Cocolia's face almost solidified.
It wasn't just her. Even the silver-haired girl standing beside Cocolia with an expressionless face began to show unprecedented turmoil in her eyes.
"Long time no see, Cocolia!"
Dong Moxuan gave a bitter smile, his face filled with helplessness.
"You... You're..."
After recognizing the identity of the boy before her, the surprise on Cocolia's face instantly turned to fury.
"Zhang! Da! Wei!"
Dong Moxuan: "..."
Hearing that somewhat jarring name, Dong Moxuan awkwardly cleared his throat twice. Even Mei beside him wore a peculiar expression.
"You actually dare to appear before me..."
Seeing Dong Moxuan's awkward expression, Cocolia's anger intensified. She practically ground her teeth as she spat out the next words.
"You... traitor!"
"Hey, Cocolia..."
Even though he couldn't see her, Dong Moxuan could imagine just how furious the woman was.
This is exactly why I didn't want to come out...
I thought Mei could deal with these Titans...
Dong Moxuan sighed inwardly.
"Whatever else I may be, calling me a traitor is a little excessive, don't you think?"
"I was once completely loyal to Cocolia, after all..."
"Oh?"
Cocolia laughed in her fury.
"By 'completely loyal,' do you mean revealing almost half of Anti-Entropy's core data to Schicksal and World Serpent, causing Anti-Entropy to suffer heavy losses?"
Dong Moxuan: "..."
As Cocolia listed his crimes one by one, Dong Moxuan awkwardly cleared his throat twice.
He really had acted improperly back then.
But...
"You can't put it that way," Dong Moxuan said seriously as he looked at the Titan mecha before him. "Didn't I also reveal some of Schicksal's core data to Anti-Entropy? Once you add and subtract everything, Anti-Entropy didn't actually lose out!"
Cocolia: "..."
It seemed she had still underestimated just how shameless this man was.
"Zhang Dawei!"
"Here!"
"Hand over the Herrscher behind you first. We'll discuss your affairs slowly afterward!"
"I'm sorry, Cocolia."
Facing Cocolia's order, Dong Moxuan's expression remained unchanged.
"But this... I may not be able to do."
As he spoke, Dong Moxuan moved Mei behind him protectively.
"Hmm?"
Hearing Dong Moxuan's answer, Cocolia's brows drew together slightly.
"Zhang Dawei! You're not a child anymore! No matter what, you used to be my chief scientist. You should know what a 'Herrscher' represents!"
"They're the enemy of human civilization, the source of every disaster."
"They're the embodiment of misfortune, the omen of destruction!"
"Do you know what you're doing?"
"Staying with that woman will only make you become un—"
"That's enough!"
Seeing the girl beside him slowly lower her head because of Cocolia's words, Dong Moxuan could no longer consider their past relationship. He shouted sternly, "Cocolia! Whether she's a Herrscher or not, Mei is my friend. Don't take things too far!"
Cocolia: "..."
After being reprimanded by Dong Moxuan, Cocolia fell silent.
After a long while, Cocolia's voice finally came from inside the Titan.
"Zhang Dawei..."
Cocolia's voice was low and heavy, giving Dong Moxuan an ominous feeling.
"You..."
"You actually yelled at me for that woman?"
Dong Moxuan: "..."
Dong Moxuan's breath caught, and he nearly choked himself unconscious.
Cocolia, are you focusing on the wrong thing here?
"Um, Cocolia..."
"Hmph. Since you want to protect that Herrscher, we'll see whether you're capable enough!"
Cocolia was clearly furious. She didn't bother speaking with Dong Moxuan anymore and directly controlled the Titans to surround him and Mei.
Seeing this, Dong Moxuan sighed helplessly. He took out a bright silver cylinder and gently pressed it.
"Pfft..."
In an instant, the Titans seemed to have lost power. They all collapsed onto the ground.
"The Titans... How could this be..."
Looking at the image transmitted by the camera, Cocolia's pupils suddenly contracted.
"Cocolia..."
Only after all the Titans had been dealt with did Dong Moxuan leisurely put the cylinder in his pocket. He explained to the Titan in front of him, "You haven't forgotten that I supervised the construction of a portion of the Titans under your command, have you?"
"And I also performed maintenance and repairs on most of the rest..."
Hearing Dong Moxuan's explanation, Cocolia seemed to understand something.
"You bastard, could it be that..."
Dong Moxuan didn't let her finish. He took out a dark-blue device and gently pressed it.
"Goodbye, Cocolia."
"Zzt!"
Accompanied by the sound of an electrical connection being severed, the screen before Cocolia instantly went black.
"Whew..."
Looking at the scene before him, Dong Moxuan relaxed slightly.
"Looks like we've dealt with it for now..."
However, he knew that the backdoor he had left in the Titans could last for at most half an hour.
"Mei..."
He gently took Mei's hand.
"Let's get moving while the Titans are temporarily disabled!"
"Huh?"
Only then did Mei, who had been lost in thought, suddenly return to her senses after hearing Dong Moxuan's words.
Her expression was somewhat hesitant.
"B-but..."
"What's wrong? Is something bothering you, Mei?"
"...No, it's nothing."
In the end, Mei still said nothing.
But as Dong Moxuan led her away, she instinctively glanced toward a certain place behind them.
In that direction, a white stuffed doll hung from a shattered wall panel, already battered and tattered.
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