The Intertwined Fates of Two

"Ah, don't mention age..."

Himiko stung by the thought of her age. She stroked Hua's long hair and said with a smile, "Little Hua, do you know? As the eldest elder, what I want most is for you to live the life you want. I didn't understand why my elders wanted to see me get married before, but now I understand a little..."

"Then why aren't you married, Captain? Captain Hen's child can already draw."

"You really have a question that leaves me speechless." Himiko like she was going to vomit blood again from Hua's blunt question. She shrugged. "I guess it's because I can't imagine what my wedding will be like."

"That kind of reason?"

"Yes, that's the reason."

Himiko was prepared to sacrifice herself at any time. She couldn't imagine what her husband and children would be like if she died after getting married.

She dared not think about it.

She didn't even dare to think about Lin, Hua, and Dessidobia.

Because that's how she got there.

"You ask me? You should ask yourself, Xiaohua! Shouldn't you find a boyfriend too?" The negative thought lingered in her mind for less than three seconds before she grinned mischievously, making Hua blush. "Gray hair and blue eyes, so beautiful! My Xiaohua, who will be so lucky in the future?"

"Pretty, pretty, beautiful and all that..." Hua's fingers twisted together; she had no power to resist Himiko's teasing.

"Isn't she pretty? She's clearly very cute, it's just that these glasses are a bit of a nuisance."

"I'm not very good-looking, Captain Himiko, you are..."

"What?! Don't question my taste!" Himiko her hand on Hua's shoulder like an old man, chuckled and waved her hand, "Have you taken a fancy to anyone? Let me check them out for you?"

"Waaah..."

Hua, feeling tricked, shook his head in annoyance.

"Hahaha... If not, then just wait patiently in the future. You have a long life ahead of you..."

"Captain Himiko, it's the same."

Himiko paused for a moment, then her expression softened, and she nodded with a light laugh, "Well, there will be other opportunities in the future... If you get married then, I'll sit in the head of the family seat. You have this custom in your Shenzhou, right?"

"Captain Himiko..."

"Ha ha ha ha..."

Yes, life is long, and this summer is just a fleeting moment of heat that will soon dissipate.

Once this summer, which is almost over, is over, Australia will be safe, right...?

There's still a week until the concert.

Lin, who was injured and unable to go on missions, was quite happy to have some free time. In fact, the entire Branch 19 was quite relaxed. After the outbreak of the Emperor-class Honkai Beast, there had been no more serious Honkai disaster. Everyone was doing nothing in the branch with the air conditioning turned up.

However, he now has an extra "task" on a daily basis.

"Drop----"

What are we going to talk about today?

Sakura, who was also wrapped in bandages covering her burned skin, asked Rin.

"... Just say whatever you want." Lin didn't seem to care much about her anxiety.

"But how do I tell her the truth gradually without causing her panic or suspicion?"

"..."

That's right, Lin was discussing with Ying how to talk to Ling today.

Ever since she found out that Lin was on a business trip with Ying, Ling has been calling Ying's communicator every day without fail, and she often asks tricky and suspicious questions, leaving Ying unsure how to answer her.

Furthermore, Sakura had considered gradually telling Rin the truth. Lin was right; if they kept it a secret, it would only hurt Rin after the truth was revealed.

However, she was afraid that Ling would have difficulty accepting it in a short time, after all, Ling was still young.

Compared to ordinary families, Sakura and Rin relied on each other from a young age, which led to Sakura being overly protective of Rin. The usually aloof female assassin showed more anxiety than usual when it came to her younger sister.

"Did you tell her that your job is related to your swordsmanship?" At this moment, Lin spread his right hand and asked Ying.

"No, I didn't tell her what my job entailed."

"Then you should first tell her that your job requires your swordsmanship and that it is also somewhat dangerous."

"But..."

"Without a beginning, there will never be an end."

Sakura's expression remained conflicted. If Rin knew that she had actually been fighting a giant monster all along, then...

"My... one of my elders, in order to prevent me from knowing the truth, chose to erase all traces of it and arranged for me to live a normal life in the Far East."

Lin's icy voice seemed to soften slightly at this moment.

Sakura looked at him blankly, and he met her gaze through his helmet.

"His original intention may have been to protect me, but at the same time he deprived me of the power to choose."

"However, long after that, he still left the choice to me."

"He did many wrong things and hurt many people, but in this one thing, I am truly grateful."

Therefore, Lin has always left room for others to choose, not for him to decide, but for them to choose themselves.

If someone changes him in this way, he will also use this way to change others.

"Only by knowing the truth can we move forward with greater strength."

Chapter 84 The Intertwined Fates of Two People

Where am I?

Mei realized what was happening in the next moment.

"Aponia? The Deepest Place?"

This place, as dark and gloomy as a prison, perfectly lives up to its name, "The Deepest Place."

Having experienced several dramatic environmental changes in the Imaginary Tree, Mei is now extremely perceptive. Just as she was about to observe further, an ethereal sound came from the seemingly endless end.

"Mei, please come here."

The moment the voice rang out, Mei's initial vigilance vanished, and an inexplicable magic compelled her to lift her leg and move towards the direction from which the voice came.

Just how big is this place?

Behind the iron bars lies unfathomable darkness. This space is like the infinitely vast world of a forest, and it is precisely the existence of the iron bars that confines the originally "boundless" world into this straight road.

After walking about 500 meters, Mei came to the person in front of her.

She couldn't quite remember how she walked this stretch of road; she only felt that she was moving forward without any other sensations, and even the distance of each step was the same.

Behind the final cell, a pair of hands clasped together, resting on thighs, are visible in the only light.

Those hands were beautiful, without any flaws, like carved white jade; just sitting there was enough to attract attention.

So naturally, Mei wouldn't notice anything else "abnormal".

"Who are you..." Mei unconsciously squatted down, becoming level with the seated Nun.

A pair of breathtakingly deep, icy blue eyes met her silently in the darkness.

"I am... Aponia ... Mei ... Nice to meet you."

"Aponia ..."

Hearing that name Mei awake from her dreamlike daze. She immediately glanced around in alarm: "You—"

"Please don't be afraid... Mei..."

After saying "please," Mei's consciousness once again fell into a state of being both clear and confused. She realized that something was wrong, but she subconsciously believed Aponia's words.

"You came here because of... Lin..., right?"

"I didn't come here, you brought me here..." Mei shook her head, seemingly trying to get rid of something, but the issue of consciousness wasn't so easily discovered. "What's your purpose..."

"Only those who truly want to see me... can come here..." Aponia's gentle words fell like spring rain, "This is... what I have seen... the destiny of our meeting..."

"Destiny?"

It's not an unfamiliar word, but it sounds incredibly absurd.

"Before that matter... let me pass on the 'precepts' to you... that's probably why Lin gave it to you..."

"Forehead..."

Mei got up from the sofa with a splitting headache, while Pardo rushed to Mei's side with tears in her eyes.

"Ugh! Mei- nee, you're finally awake!"

"Pardo? What... happened to me?"

When Mei woke up, she saw Pardo looking like she was in mourning. She sat there blankly, her throbbing brain still trying to remind her to think back.

"You suddenly fainted, it scared me to death! I thought something had happened, and now I don't know who will pay for my directions and care."

"..."

Mei covered her forehead; she seemed to already have some recollection of it.

Cross pendant, unconscious, in the Deepest Place, Aponia...

The images of memory crashed into her brain like waves, and her consciousness instantly returned. "Aponia!"

"Huh? What's wrong? Why all of a sudden..."

"I saw Aponia! She used a mind control technique on me!"

Mei isn't stupid; she's an academic genius. If the Third Honkai War hadn't happened, she might have become a scientist. Her brief meeting with Aponia made her realize something unusual and that Aponia had given her a mental suggestion.

Upon hearing the word "please," her consciousness blurred, and she was unable to refuse Aponia.

"Aponia? She is indeed related to consciousness..."

"..." This was the first time Mei had felt "humiliated" after becoming the Herrscher of Thunder. Even Kevin, Chrono, and Lin had not given her enough sense of defeat to make her feel humiliated. Yet Aponia was controlling her like a puppet.

Is he the third seat of the Thirteen Flame-Chasers...?

Just as Mei was getting used to the effects of the "Commandment" mark that Aponia had given her, the "Nameless" mark that originally belonged to Rin suddenly took effect, completely sorting out those chaotic fragmented memories and sweeping away her headache.

"Is this even possible...?"

The unexpected but not bad situation helped Mei adjust her mindset. She turned to Pardo and asked, "Pardo, do you know anything else about Aponia? Preferably something related to Lin."

If Aponia, like Mobius and Chrono, is an uncontrollable factor in the Imaginary Tree, then Mei's situation will be even more precarious.

"Huh? Gossip? About Sister Aponia and Brother Lin?"

"Anything is fine, just tell me quickly."

"Um... it's not that I can't say..."

As soon as Mei heard Pardo's words, she understood what she meant. She immediately took out the currency she had collected in the Elysian Realm. Pardo stared at the heavy bag of currency that made a metallic clanging sound with shining eyes, and almost drooled.

"Wait a minute, you go first." Mei knew that these things in her hands were gone forever, so just to be on the safe side, she decided to let Pardo tell her what she knew first. "Do you know what Aponia's ability is?"

"Ugh..." Seeing the duck she was about to catch flying away, Pardo scratched her head and thought for a moment, "Aponia... actually, among us, Aponia's ability is the most mysterious, so I'm not really sure what she can do, but..."

"But what?" Mei pulled out a handful of coins, trying to entice Pardo to speak.

"However, many people in the Moths are afraid of Sister Aponia. Even Boss Kevin rarely goes to see Sister Aponia. On the one hand, she is indeed hard to find in the Deepest Place, and on the other hand... those who have been to the Deepest Place seem to have 'changed'."

"It's changed?"

"Well, I can't quite put my finger on what changed. When there were only thirteen of us Flame-Chaser, all the other ordinary soldiers went to see Sister Aponia. Only Brother Lin didn't have that feeling when he came out of there."

Only Lin...

"Oh right, Aponia became Flame-Chaser and stayed in the Deepest Place because of Brother Lin. When Aponia was brought back to the Firemoth, she was almost executed. It was Brother Lin who ran around pleading for her and saved her."

"Plead?"

This word, which has absolutely nothing to do with a certain person, came out of Pardo's mouth.