Honkai: Fire Moth Herrschers

The familiar gala, the familiar air of human self-congratulation as "victors," but Michael no longer felt the festive spirit of his first gala, even though he, Himeko, Sakura, and Elysia were supposed to be the stars of the show.

Of course, Himeko and Sakura, still in casts, couldn't attend. Elysia was only interested in the desserts, and Michael… Michael wasn't in the mood.

Thankfully, Kevin and Mei, hailed as "heroic citizens," were basking in the limelight – and the flashes of the cameras.

This gave Michael a chance to retreat to a corner and examine Alfred's belongings.

*[My name is Alfred von Liechtenstein. When you read this, I'll probably be dead, right? Dead at the hands of the Honkai sickness I've dedicated my short life to studying.

Let me guess, who are you? Himeko? No, I imagine it's Michael holding this letter, right?

You must be curious why I've omitted the "von" from my name, the symbol of my noble lineage… well, you're probably not curious about that. You probably want to know what happened in those three blocks in Dagon District. Whether your deductions were correct.

Haha, I can imagine your frustration, that burning rage mixed with helplessness.

So, I'll tell you now, all your deductions were correct.

Truly remarkable. It took us nearly a year of calculations and deductions to finalize the experimental plan, and you figured it all out in just a few days?

I suppose, unless you just got lucky, your understanding of Honkai far surpasses ours. At least, most doctors still consider Honkai sickness a common infectious disease, trying to identify the bacteria responsible.

But you should know the cause isn't bacteria, but radiation from Honkai energy – just like nuclear radiation.

Oh dear, why am I rambling? (smeared bloodstain) Perhaps I'm just trying to give you a hint, in case you did just get lucky.

Anyway, as you can see, my experiment led to the deaths of tens of thousands (though, in a way, I also saved a few dozen). I am indeed an irredeemable executioner, so you needn't feel any pity or sorrow for my death.

Because this is my retribution, the sin I must bear (smeared bloodstain)…

Of course, if you do feel even a sliver of pity or sorrow, I would be happy (crossed out).

Oh, right, there should be a vial of serum in my drawer. I know you, like Himeko, are a warrior who fights with Honkai energy. The Honkai will erode your body. Honkai sickness is the best-case scenario; losing control and becoming a Deadman would be far worse.

So, that serum is for you! If you contract Honkai sickness, or if you feel the Honkai energy within you becoming unstable, give yourself a shot… Not during battle, though. You'll need a long time to recover afterward – so, reassure Himeko. Her serum had nothing to do with my experiment.

Uh… you're not afraid of needles, are you?

Alfred von Liechtenstein

Twilight of Fire Moth]*

This was likely Alfred's final message, written in anticipation of his death. But he hadn't anticipated a slightly better ending, dying in battle.

And this made it easier for the United Government to handle the aftermath.

His experiment definitely wouldn't make the news – it might even have been sanctioned by the United Government, after all, he had written "It took us nearly a year…"

The official story was that Pohnpei Island was intended to be a prison for a group of dangerous death row inmates. A riot broke out, the inmates seized weapons, and there were casualties.

And the young and promising Ruruye City Official, Mr. Alfred von Liechtenstein, bravely fought on the front lines, piloting a mecha, ultimately sacrificing himself heroically, a true role model, and so on…

That was it.

This wasn't the outcome Michael had promised Harris – Fire Moth had also reported that only Aldemir had survived from the Tower, his survival attributed to his exceptional Honkai resistance, earning him a dose of serum.

As for his promise to Harris to reveal the truth, that would have to wait… but did humanity even have that much time left?

He planned to contact Vill-V privately. She hadn't signed a "ceasefire agreement" with Fire Moth yet, so revealing a scandal shouldn't be a problem, right?

Michael looked at the letter again.

It was mostly rambling, and the serum mentioned at the end was missing. Michael felt that Alfred, even at the end of his life, had been conflicted, carrying the serum with him, a last chance at survival if he changed his mind.

And it was thanks to that serum – the one injected into the Yaksha's tail.

But within the rambling, Alfred, intentionally or not, had left Michael some valuable clues.

The most obvious was the word "us," implying that his actions weren't solely his own, but directed by someone higher up, or a group.

It was understandable. Given Alfred's conflicted state of mind, without external pressure or influence, Michael doubted he would have done such a thing.

Moreover, even as a city official, being able to manipulate a Honkai reactor undetected was alarming.

So, who else was part of this "us"?

Michael's first thought was World Serpent. Not because of any concrete evidence, but, again, it was the most logical conclusion based on the limited information: fine, I'll stop pretending, it was basically intuition…

Or perhaps it was a process of elimination. Assume World Serpent was involved, then work backward: was there any basis for contact between Alfred and World Serpent?

Yes, he had been an assistant in Dr. SPACI's lab. It wouldn't have been difficult for World Serpent to reach him.

But Michael couldn't think of anything more.

However, there was something else noteworthy: While Alfred hadn't stated it explicitly, just like his deliberate act of playing the flippant纨绔, some parts of the letter seemed too deliberate.

Why was the "you" in his letter referring to Michael? Why did he specifically mention that Michael's "understanding of Honkai far surpasses ours"?

Finally, if he had the serum with him, why mention giving it to Michael?

It was as if he was subtly saying: We're watching you. We're even suspicious of your identity.

He might as well have directly asked Michael if he was a Herrscher.

This was why Michael suspected World Serpent's involvement.

Among those who knew his identity, Elysia wouldn't tell, Himeko wouldn't tell, Fuhua had no reason to tell, Sakura's attitude was ambiguous but ultimately unimportant since World Serpent already suspected him, and Mobius, who knew him best from a physiological perspective, was tight-lipped and wouldn't tell either.

Wasn't the answer obvious?

Michael folded the letter, placing it back in the empty envelope, and tucked it away.

Elysia approached the table with two strawberry cakes, carefully setting them down, then, after a moment of hesitation, pushing the larger one towards Michael.

Michael felt a warmth in his heart, reaching for the cake, about to thank her, when he was startled by the pained expression on Elysia's face.

Before he could react, Elysia snatched the chocolate and strawberry from the top of his cake.

"…"

Michael's lips twitched. He was speechless.

But as Elysia beamed with satisfaction, Michael felt the heavy weight on his shoulders lighten, as if someone was sharing the burden.

"Here, eat, eat! Mei… I mean, that girl Mei, said that sweets make people happy! You're always frowning. You need to eat more!" She said, spooning her own cake while constantly glancing at Michael's.

Michael, stifling a laugh, poked her cheek. "First, Mei seems to be about your age. Don't call her 'Auntie.' Second, Elysia, have you gained weight?"

Elysia's eyes widened in mock surprise and panic. "Ah! Have I?! Impossible!"

"Yes… Look, your socks are digging into your thighs."

"No! Impossible! My socks must have shrunk in the wash!"

Elysia refused to accept this harsh reality, but when she saw Michael hiding his smile behind his glass of water, she knew he was teasing her.

She immediately put on a knowing smile.

"Hey… Michael…"

"What?"

"Were you just staring at my legs?"

"Pfft–" Michael sprayed water everywhere.

K.O.!

"By the way… that attack method of yours, using the pink crystals…" Michael hesitated, then finally asked.

"Ah! That! I don't really know how it works, but I think it's great! Beautiful and cute, perfect for a girl like me!"

Michael's smile faded as he studied Elysia.

She simply smiled back at him, unflinching.

Michael understood. Elysia was hiding something from him.

People only maintained eye contact like that when they were hiding something, or lying.

It irritated him.

He also wanted to warn Elysia that he wasn't the only one World Serpent suspected. As someone who had emerged from Vostok along with him, Michael was certain World Serpent wouldn't ignore her.

But Elysia seemed to have anticipated this. She said casually, "Captain Himeko said she's requested custom Honkai-forged weapons for us. Then, with the weapons as a cover, you'll be able to use some of your powers more openly!"

Michael nodded. While she seemed to be talking about him, the underlying message was that she would conceal her pink crystal abilities with a weapon, so he didn't need to worry.

Seeing Michael's downcast mood, Elysia quietly left, taking two… three cakes with her, intending to bring them to Himeko and Sakura in the infirmary.

After Elysia left, Michael pulled a faded photograph from his pocket.

The background was intact, seemingly a church. Alfred, much younger and less pale, was wearing a tuxedo.

But the person beside him, the woman in a white wedding dress, was blurry, her features indistinguishable, only her white hair visible.

It was a wedding photo, Michael surmised, but he had already checked online. Alfred hadn't married.

With current technology, there was no reason for a photo to be damaged like this.

The only explanation Michael could think of was that someone had deliberately removed the protective layer and repeatedly rubbed their thumb over the woman's face.

Until her features were completely obscured, unrecognizable.

And in that person's memory, her face, her voice, everything about her, had also faded.

Kevin suddenly plopped down in front of him.

"What's wrong? Not dealing with the reporters?" Michael put the photograph away, half-joking.

Kevin finished a bottle of soda in one gulp, burped, then said with a hint of annoyance, "I felt proud at first, but it got tiring… Forget it, Mei seems to be good at handling that sort of thing. I'll leave it to her!"

Michael suddenly had an idea. "Kevin, have you… considered becoming a hero?"

Kevin understood the implication and, unsurprisingly, shook his head. "No, thanks. You have too many rules. Mei and I helped you, and you practically put us under house arrest, making us sign non-disclosure agreements and undergo psychological evaluations…"

"It's actually Mei who hasn't made up her mind, right?"

Michael interrupted him, hitting the nail on the head.

"Uh… hahaha! You saw right through me!" Kevin blushed, embarrassed.

"Mei said she needs to think about it. Of course, if she joins your… Moth organization, I definitely will too. But for now, we've already bought tickets back to Nagazora."

Michael nodded, not pressing the issue.

The Third Eruption would happen soon, and Kevin and Mei would join Fire Moth then.

He noticed Kevin fidgeting, seemingly bothered by something he wanted to talk about but was hesitant to bring up.

"What's wrong? You look like you want to get something off your chest."

Kevin glanced at him, then leaned closer and whispered, "I actually know Ruruye's city official."

"Oh." Michael wasn't surprised. Chiba Academy was a prestigious school for the elite. Entry required a certain background and status.

Michael's calm reaction seemed to embolden Kevin. He pursed his lips, seemingly making a decision, then continued, "I remember, when I was very young, I heard the adults talking about how Mr. Liechtenstein's youngest son was pursuing my aunt."

Michael narrowed his eyes. "And?"

"But… Sigh! Fine! I was too young then, I don't remember the details, but I think he wasn't in good health. Anyway, our family opposed their relationship, so Alfred eloped with my aunt! But without parental consent, they couldn't get a marriage license, so they had a ceremony in a small church. They lived together for six months, then my aunt suddenly fell ill, and not long after… well… Hey, what's wrong?"

"…"

Michael's face darkened, but he didn't want to burden Kevin with such heavy news.

He excused himself, fleeing the gala and stepping onto the rooftop.

From here, he could easily see the Ruruye sea, the temporary lighthouse's orange glow illuminating the faint mist that shrouded the ruins of the collapsed buildings.

In just three days, Ruruye, the city of hope built with the world's resources, the symbol of the "new Mu continent," had returned to its normal life and order. Streetlights and neon signs, reflected in the crystal skyscrapers, bathed the city in a green glow. Even on the rooftop, he could hear the sounds of revelry.

As for the dozens of Pohnpei Island personnel turned into Zombies, the thousands killed or injured when the collapsing skyscrapers crushed the underground shelters, and the city official who, on the verge of death, had used a mecha to deliver the final blow to the Yaksha…

They were quickly swept into the dustbin of memory.

Because people always sought pleasure and hope for the future. Who would dwell on the heavy past and the meaningless present?

"I should have known… Green eyes, blond hair… That's…"

"So, what is this unavoidable thing called fate, called reincarnation?"

He looked up at the starless night sky.

The sky seemed low, almost within reach, yet infinitely vast and oppressive, as if a pair of indifferent eyes were watching from beyond the darkness.

So, the question was, was this night sky, this connected night sky, real? Or was it an illusion?

The recent events had been too much, even for Michael, who had been mentally prepared.

He took a deep breath, clutching his head.

The road ahead was still long…

"Hey… if the von Liechtensteins are a prominent family, maybe I can investigate this 'us' from that angle? And, Kevin's surname is Kaslana now, right? I should look into that too."

He turned to leave the rooftop and ran into Immer, fiddling with his phone.

Immer seemed startled to see Michael, but he appeared to be in a hurry. He saluted Michael and rushed onto the rooftop.

Michael watched him thoughtfully. "Tsk… I wonder which girl has him so smitten, calling at this hour… Should I eavesdrop? No, I should respect his privacy."

"I neglected Elysia earlier… I should find a way to make it up to her…"

"Right, I should get some time off after dealing with an Emperor-class Honkai beast! I could take Elysia to Eden's concert!"

"Wait! I almost forgot, Captain Himeko still owes me two tickets!"

"She's been putting it off for months!"

"No, I have to take Elysia to the concert this time!"

The chaotic thoughts in his mind weren't organized. He had simply latched onto one.

But it still occupied his entire night.

When he finally looked out the window again, the rising sun, like a fiery ball, had leaped from the sea.

But the cleansing orange-red light was distorted by the dark clouds, taking on a demonic form.

What awaited humanity in the distant, distant future? A new dawn? Or the afterglow of a dying twilight?

(End of Volume One: Year of Twilight)