Honkai, I Alone Save Everything

After clearing out quite a few newly spawned Honkai Beasts along the way, they finally arrived in the safe East District.

The girl in his arms tilted her head up, looking at Ming Yu with sparkling eyes, and asked:

"Brother Ming Yu, where do you live now?"

"Hmm... not too far from here. I came to Changkong City on a mission and brought some supplies for you all."

As he spoke, Ming Yu set down the package on his back.

Considering shelf life and portability, he had chosen Schicksal-issue compressed rations and some long-lasting ingredients.

While the taste might not be great, the nutritional value was impeccable.

Sensing the arrival of an outsider, many small heads peeked out from the other rooms to see what was happening.

With Xiaokong's call, the children gradually gathered in the relatively spacious living room.

Bronya had been quietly sitting aside, watching Ming Yu interact with the children, but she noticed a little girl in the crowd subtly staring in her direction.

It was a little one who limped with each step, her foot wrapped in bandages, likely injured during the disaster in Changkong City.

Although her life was saved, it left her with mobility issues.

"Doll, cute..."

She looked at the Houm doll in Bronya's arms from afar, hesitant and yearning.

For children their age, Houm dolls held considerable appeal.

"..."

The silver-haired girl silently stood up and slowly floated over, offering her doll to the little one before her, speaking in the gentlest tone she could manage.

"Here, this is for you."

"Eh, but..."

The little girl was taken aback by the unexpected kindness.

"It's okay, Bronya has many Houm dolls."

"Th-thank you, big sister..."

She thanked him timidly.

Watching the little one happily hugging the Houm, Bronya suddenly felt a pang of guilt.

Perhaps it was the suggestion of that mysterious donkey-eared woman, or perhaps it was facing these innocent children that made Bronya, for the first time, begin to think beyond simply following Mama Cocolia's orders.

For instance, she began to ponder that the reason these children before her were rendered homeless was none other than her dear Mama Cocolia.

And to destroy an entire city, causing millions to lose their lives, would the gentle and kind girl truly be happy about that, even if it meant bringing Seele back?

The answer, she suspected, was no.

No, in the end, were all the things her mother had done up until now truly for the sake of saving Seele...?

A year ago, wasn't it she herself who made Seele disappear in the laboratory with her own hands?

"..."

The silver-haired girl felt a wave of unease. She glanced at Ming Yu, who was playing with the children, stood up, and floated outside.

"By the way, Xiaokong, is your teacher in Changkong City?"

After playing with the children for a while, Ming Yu sat up and asked the purple-haired girl beside him.

"Our teacher left a few days ago and hasn't returned yet,"

Xiaokong replied obediently.

Raven only returned here periodically and did not stay in the [Nest] long-term.

This was only natural; as a capable cadre of World Serpent, she was constantly executing various missions all over the world.

"Hmm... then, Xiaokong, I have a letter for you. When your teacher returns, could you help me give it to her, okay?"

Ming Yu took out an envelope from his pocket.

This was something he had prepared the night before he left.

Coming to this place where the children lived, besides seeing Xiaokong after a long time, there was an even more important matter.

—To find the whereabouts of Raiden Ryoma.

Although the public was told he was arrested for economic crimes, those involved knew that he was framed by Cocolia.

Therefore, where this former Anti-Entropy executive was imprisoned was a matter worth investigating.

Within Anti-Entropy, there was a clear division between the radical faction led by Cocolia and the conservative faction led by Dr. Einstein and Dr. Tesla. Raiden Ryoma, as a member of the conservative faction, was framed, and other executives from the same camp could not possibly stand idly by.

They must have tried to send people to find and rescue Raiden Ryoma, but likely found nothing.

Therefore, Ming Yu deduced that Raiden Ryoma was likely imprisoned by Cocolia in some secret location under her control, rather than in a prison managed by the Far East government.

Well, that was not something he could figure out on his own at the moment, so he needed special help to find Ryoma's whereabouts.

He planned to rescue Mr. Ryoma as early as possible if circumstances allowed.

On one hand, it was for Mei's sake. On the other, he naturally hoped to leverage Ryoma's regained freedom and position within Anti-Entropy to curb Cocolia's power grab.

He had no intention of waiting years for the Queen's descent or for the Sea of Quakes incident to erupt before settling scores with Cocolia.

If it was to be done, the sooner, the better.

Whether it was to defect Bronya or rescue Raiden Ryoma, both were currently part of his plan.

And the person who could help him find Raiden Ryoma's whereabouts…

was naturally the mercenary belonging to World Serpent, Raven.

Although Mei had already asked Theresa and the others to help find him, it was clear that the Far East Branch's intelligence capabilities were no match for World Serpent's.

If he could utilize World Serpent's intricate intelligence network, which had long since infiltrated major organizations, finding Ryoma's whereabouts shouldn't be difficult.

And Raven happened to be the kind of mercenary who would do anything for money, which was why Ming Yu decided to entrust the matter to her.

He left a secret private mailbox inside the envelope for future contact with Raven.

"Okay... I'll give it to teacher when she gets back."

Xiaokong nodded obediently and put the envelope into her small bag.

Seeing that the sun was already setting outside, Ming Yu chatted with Xiaokong for a while before bidding farewell again.

He returned to Chiba Academy with Bronya, picked up Mei, and began their journey back.

With Yuna, who had survived, this small team, on its first mission, had successfully completed its task in Changkong City.

Chapter 31: Smells Like Another Woman!

St. Freya Academy, Weekend, Early Morning.

Although Ming Yu maintained excellent sleep habits during the weekdays from Monday to Friday, he would sleep in on the rare weekends.

Well, that was what they called balancing work and rest.

Only by doing so could he alleviate the fatigue caused by the excessive training from using time reversal.

Even so, at this hour, in a dormitory that should have been empty except for Ming Yu, there was still a faint sound.

A girl left her room and walked into the hallway.

The girl was dressed in a red and white miko outfit. Her features were exquisite and well-defined, her snow-white shoulders were exposed, and her legs were long and slender. Beneath her delicate, slender eyebrows, her blue eyes were lustrous and bright, and her milky-white skin was as smooth and clean as if it had no blemishes.

Her cherry-blossom-colored hair cascaded down her back like a waterfall, leaving behind a faint scent of cherry blossoms wherever she passed.

Her room was at the very end of the second floor, so as she walked down the hallway, she passed Ming Yu's room.

Her enhanced senses, a result of her Pseudo-Herrscher physique, allowed her to faintly hear his calm breathing even through the closed door.

After going downstairs, she went to the living room as usual, pulled out a chair, sat down, and opened the book she hadn't finished reading yesterday.

Amidst the birdsong and fragrant flowers outside the window, it should have been a very peaceful and serene morning.

However, Higokumaru, who hadn't appeared for a long time, reappeared at this moment.

The giant fox seemed to occupy the entire living room. Compared to the last time it appeared, the flames burning on its jet-black fur seemed to have become even more intense.

It growled in a low voice and said:

"Woman..."

"Why did you come out?"

Yae Sakura didn't even look up, her gaze still fixed on the book in her hands.

"Do you really plan to stay in this academy forever?"

Higokumaru questioned.

"What's wrong with that?"

The cherry-blossom-haired girl replied calmly.

This academy belonged to Schicksal, the same name as the organization that fought against Honkai mentioned by her close friend.

Through her recent reading, she had learned that the current Schicksal was not the same as the Schicksal that her close friend once belonged to.

The old Schicksal had been overthrown by the new Schicksal, continuing from over five hundred years ago to the present day.

It should be said that the current Schicksal organization was more in line with her close friend's ideals, dedicating itself to fighting Honkai and protecting the world.

Since that was the case, she was happy to stay here and provide some help to the people here.

For her, who had returned to life as if from another era, this was currently the motivation for her actions.

"Heh heh..."

Higokumaru showed a mocking expression and said:

"You only helped that guy deal with a Herrscher once, you don't really think you're a hero of justice, do you?"

"...It's precisely because my past is too painful to recall that I must continue to atone."

Yae Sakura replied calmly.

"Your thoughts are beautiful, but how much longer can you keep running from me?"

Higokumaru said in a low voice:

"You don't even have the courage to accept my power, unlike that girl who controls lightning."

"..."

"You're not like her. That girl can overcome the will of Honkai, but you can't. You're just... a coward who can't escape the past."

"...Get lost."

As Yae Sakura's expression sharpened slightly, the giant black fox was once again forced to dissipate.

Even though Higokumaru had been silenced by her, she no longer felt like reading the book in her hands.

The cherry-blossom-haired girl looked up at the clock and stood up.

She might as well go prepare breakfast; it was time to wake him up.

Just then, Yae Sakura's fox ears twitched slightly.

—She heard a noise by the entrance, the sound of the front door opening.

"...! "

It wasn't unusual for Ming Yu's place to have visitors on the weekend.

The Herrscher of Thunder, with whom she had clashed while possessing Ming Yu... that girl named Raiden Mei, came here every weekend.