A Not-So-Distant Story / The One Who Offers a Choice

Sakura breathed a sigh of relief. Their first mission together had been marred by an unexpected situation, and due to her lack of experience, they had almost both perished. It had to be said, she had held them back...

"Do you have anything else to do?" Lin asked.

"No... no, what's wrong?"

"I'd like to find someone to discuss the issue regarding the explosive increase in the number of Emperor-class Honkai Beast."

"And... me?"

"Um."

Lin had initially planned to discuss the matter with Mobius, but after Mobius hung up, he was unable to get through to Mobius again.

Lin, unable to find the reason for Mobius's anger, looked among the people he knew, but in the end decided to talk to Sakura. On the one hand, the others had projects and tasks to manage, and on the other hand, he also wanted to give Sakura some extra lessons.

"Okay... If I had to give my personal opinion, Emperor-class Honkai Emperor-class Honkai Beast are probably the most special Honkai creature, right? Each one of them is different. Is their large-scale appearance due to the increase in global Honkai Energy concentration?" Sakura's brain only had the most basic Honkai science knowledge.

"The relationship between global Honkai Energy and Honkai Beast is not one-way. Areas with high Honkai Energy concentration will give birth to advanced Honkai creature, but advanced Honkai creature will also increase the Honkai Energy concentration in the area. Therefore, this increase in global Honkai Energy concentration is actually a causal relationship caused by the high frequency of the birth of Emperor-class Honkai Beast."

"... Was that some kind of omen? Like the environmental changes that preceded the previous Honkai?"

"The global changes make some sense, but the signs of large-scale Honkai will be concentrated in a certain region. According to current statistics, the density of the birth of Emperor-class Honkai Beast does not show any particular place being outstanding."

After being repeatedly rejected, Sakura wanted to ask herself, "Then why is he asking me?"

However, since Lin said so, he will now begin to explain, "Emperor-class Honkai Beast are all single individuals. So far, no duplicate Emperor-class Honkai Beast have appeared. However, judging from the encounter reports from various regions, there are more than one place with the same situation as us."

"The same situation... refers to those two Honkai Beasts that look like twins?"

"There is also the third Honkai Beast that appeared later. Some of the Emperor-class Honkai Beast this time are similar in appearance to it. It cannot be determined that they are completely the same Honkai Beast, but it is certain that there is a certain connection."

Similar Honkai Beast, but appearing in different places.

What does that mean?

"Man-made..."

"Drop----"

The beeping of the communicator interrupted Sakura from saying her idea. Lin glanced at her communicator but didn't say anything.

Sakura quickly took it out, glanced at the caller ID, and answered the call.

"Ring, is there something you need?"

"It's nothing, sister. You haven't been home for almost a month. Is this business trip going to be this long?" There was a hint of melancholy in Ling's voice on the other end. "And what exactly is your job that requires you to go to Australia on a business trip..."

Lin was stunned for a moment. Sakura had directly told Ling that she had come to Australia?

He thought Sakura would lie and say she was on a business trip somewhere nearby, but he didn't expect her to be so honest with her sister.

"Um... this job is a bit complicated, so it might take a while longer. I'm sorry, Rin. I'll take you to the amusement park when I get back." Sakura's words were full of apology.

"Okay! It's a deal!"

Upon hearing that Sakura would be going to the amusement park with her, Ling was immediately filled with energy again. Then, she asked suspiciously, "Brother Lin, is he over there?"

"Yes, he's here..."

"Smack."

Lin quickly covered Sakura's mouth before she could answer, but it was too late. Rin, who had already become suspicious, heard what Sakura said before her mouth was covered.

"So you two really are together. Did you go to the gym together again this time?" Ling accused in a resentful tone.

Lin winked at Ying and then let go of her hand. Ying quickly replied, "He's my colleague now. I introduced him to my company after he lost his job."

"Is that so?"

"Yes, yes, that's right."

After much persuasion, Sakura finally convinced Rin to believe her nonsense. After hanging up, Rin let out a long sigh and gave Rin an apologetic look.

However, Lin calmly looked at her and said, "It's better for you to let her know the truth sooner rather than later. Letting a child live in ignorance is not necessarily a good thing."

Chapter 82 A Story Not So Far Away

"MSA-31, reporting in!"

With her hands pressed against her taut thighs, the red-haired girl was clearly still tense. She swayed her single ponytail, glancing left and right, but dared not look into the eyes of the woman in front of her who seemed to be smiling.

"Hiccup... New recruits, have you all switched to a numbered system now?" The woman took a bottle of liquor from the shelf next to her. "Do you drink? I remember your name is... Himiko, right?"

"Yes, yes, it's a numbered system now... Captain, it's daytime now," Himiko reminded him cautiously.

"During the day? You can drink during the day too, don't worry about it. I'm just worried about not having anyone to drink with."

On her first day of basic training, Himiko barely exchanged a few words before being dragged by a woman to drink until she vomited, then fell asleep and slept until the next day.

"Hmm, not bad, not bad, just to my liking."

After waking up, the woman laughed and put her arm around Himiko's shoulder, who was still looking completely bewildered.

This was the first squad leader Himiko encountered after her family Honkai, when she chose to join the Moth of Flames.

If Himiko to make an assessment of herself now, she would probably say that she is imitating that person's back, whether it is her fighting style or her drinking habits, they all seem to have been inherited from that person.

Upon closer reflection, she realized that although she entered the Fire Moth with hatred in her heart, she later found a goal more important than revenge, all thanks to that captain.

Memories are bound to be embellished to some extent, but Himiko didn't mind filling in the gaps to make it even more perfect.

"Goal? Meaning? What? You already said it yourself, you want to avenge your family and destroy the Honkai." The woman shook the beer can, the beer clinking against the can, her flushed cheeks so alluring in the light. "Why ask me? 90% of the Moth Chasers joined to destroy the Honkai. No matter what our starting point is, our destination is the same, and that's enough."

"... But I want to find a higher ideal, just like you." Himiko lowered her eyes, looking like a lost girl, unsure of where to go.

"Noble? Hahaha... You little rascal, do you really think I'm some kind of saint? Lofty ideals? I just want to drink every day, flirt with you kids, and maybe find a handsome guy to marry..."

It sounded like a woman's drunken ramblings, and her tone was very casual, which made Himiko somewhat angry.

"Listen up, there's no such thing as a superior or inferior ideal. It's just a matter of how each person's outlook on life and reality lead to different views on the future. Does that mean that the idea of beggars just wanting to survive every day is more vulgar than ours? Haha, don't be ridiculous."

The woman had no intention of using her status and experience to educate Himiko, but she still intended to give her junior some advice, just as she herself had been guided by others.

"If you really need to find a goal, why not look at the people around you and start by protecting them? How about that?"

Later, the woman's name was engraved in the headquarters' "cemetery".

She died protecting Himiko during a crucial mission.

Himiko understood what she said at the moment of her death.

There is no distinction between superior and inferior people. What matters is how one views oneself and the world, and how one pursues a goal as a lifelong ideal. Whatever that ideal may be, that is enough.

And the woman did indeed lie to Himiko; her ideals were not as "distant" as they seemed.

She simply wanted to protect Himiko who showed her a glimpse of her past self.

"Captain, I'm the captain of the Squad Five now. I have a few naive kids under my command who are just as clueless as I was back then, but they're much better and more clear-headed." Himiko lowered her head, her fingers gently tracing the unassuming name. "Now everyone says I drink too much, heh... could you call that a bad habit you passed on to me?"

"The Second Honkai War has occurred. I have to leave. I'll come back to see you next time."

Himiko left the cemetery; she was about to head to the front lines, to the battlefield where her captain had died.

"What... are you saying...?"

Himiko stood there, stunned, listening to the cold "report" from the person in front of her, as if she could no longer hear her own heartbeat.

"The Squad Five will be reorganized next, please be prepared."

There was no "please accept my condolences" or "sorry," only instructions to redistribute her.

It was like a knife that pierced through her chest.

Himiko as if her legs were made of lead. She dragged her heavy legs into the morgue, where the bodies were densely packed together and marked with numbers.

From a distance, they looked like meat about to be taken out and sold, so cold-blooded it was disgusting.

She found the bodies.

No, it's their remains.

A missing hand, half a head, and a mangled, bloody lower body.

This is the "part" they left behind that can be recovered.

"What am I doing...?"

Because of her misjudgment, all her team members perished on the battlefield of the Second Honkai War, leaving behind not even intact bodies.

She failed to protect those around her; the captain saved her, but now she couldn't save her own teammates.

"Ah..."

Himiko covered her face with both hands, unable to even scream.

This time, she harbored no hatred towards the Honkai that had taken her teammates.

She only hates one person.

"...Sometimes I think, if you hadn't saved me back then, would you have done better than me if you had survived?" Himiko stood in the cemetery, seeing many familiar names on the graves, including those of her teammates. "If it were you, you probably could have saved them...but you would have definitely saved me, so it's unlikely."

What can I say now? Am I sorry?

"Dead people can't hear apologies."

A dull, cold voice came from the doorway into Himiko's ears. She turned around and saw a strange-looking man in a helmet.

"You..."

"No matter how many times you say it here, they won't hear you." The helmeted man stepped forward and handed something to Himiko. "This is what I found. Here you go."

Himiko's heart trembled the moment she saw that thing.

That's a group photo of the Squad Five.

"Are you the soldier who defeated the Emperor-class Honkai Beast?"

"..."

He neither denied it nor said anything.

After handing the item to Himiko, he turned away.

"If you say they can't hear you, then why did you come here?"

The helmeted man paused.

"Because I can hear myself."

Chapter 83 Giving Choices

"Thank you for your hard work, Captain Himiko."

Hua handed Himiko a bottle of chilled beer.

"Ah~ Xiaohua, you understand me so well~" Himiko swept away the frustration in her chest, put her arm around the neck of the helpless Hua, and sat down on the sofa to drink.

"Wow~ that feels so good! On a hot day like this, you really need an ice-cold beer!"

Hua felt a mix of helplessness and amusement. She wasn't supporting Himiko's drinking, but this captain, who was considered eccentric among the many team leaders, had drinking as her only hobby. She couldn't very well deprive Himiko right to drink.

"Hmm? Why aren't you drinking?"

"I'll pass..." Hua sighed. "You can drink it."

"Beer is a great stress reliever. It's not bad for us soldiers who are under pressure all day long to learn some stress relief techniques."

"Speaking of which, Captain Himiko, you seem to have a lot of unique rules, like drinking at least two liters of beer every day and taking photos every time the team regroups..."

"..."

Himiko silently drank the last bit of cold liquid from the beer bottle.

"Because sometimes I can only see the complete person in my memory through photos."

Himiko's voice was almost non-existent; Hua didn't hear what she said at all. The next second, Himiko laughed heartlessly as usual and vigorously ruffled Hua's hair.

"Don't concern yourself with adult matters. You'll understand why I did this when you grow up."

"Captain, I'm already over twenty..."