Honkai: Fire Moth Herrschers

"This way!"

As the building collapsed, Elysia grabbed Eden, and pink crystals quickly enveloped them both before they plummeted from a height of over a hundred meters.

Thump, thump, thump, thump… Falling alongside them were hundreds of other crystal-encased figures. This was the limit of Elysia's power.

But even this meager effort was instantly rendered meaningless. Hundreds of surrounding skyscrapers crumbled, burying everything—the living, the dead, the whole and the broken—beneath a mountain of rubble.

Boom!

Elysia punched through nearly three meters of reinforced concrete, debris, and stone above her. She quickly climbed onto the rubble pile and pulled Eden out.

"Cough, cough! Wh-what happened?!" Eden knelt on the rubble, coughing from the dust. She looked up, stunned by the devastation around her.

Just seconds ago, they had been sitting in an elegant private room, looking out through the large windows at the rippling river, anticipating the neon lights that would soon illuminate the falling rain, painting the night sky with vibrant colors.

Now, after a flash of purple lightning, everything had been reduced to dust. The steel forest of human ingenuity had been uprooted by brutal lightning and storms, leaving nothing behind.

"Elysia… Elysia!"

Snapping back to reality, Eden saw Elysia frantically digging through the rubble with her bare hands.

"They'll be okay! They'll be okay!"

She heard Elysia muttering repeatedly.

Eden then remembered the protective pink crystals. If not for their protection, she wouldn't have survived the hundred-meter fall unscathed.

She quickly joined Elysia in digging.

They soon found their first casualty… no, a casualty, among many… remains that were no longer identifiable.

Ironically, the reason this particular body remained intact was because Elysia had encased it in crystal before the fall. But this protection had been a hasty, last-minute act, not like the crystal that had protected her and Eden, which had shattered layer by layer to absorb the impact.

Now, the pink crystal served only as a coffin.

Elysia stood silently beside the body, her back to Eden.

Was she… no, would she cry? Eden wasn't sure.

Drip…

The light rain dampened Elysia's fluffy hair. Blood-tinged raindrops fell from her trembling fingertips, joining the red streams flowing through the rubble.

Eden gasped, quickly tearing off a piece of her elegant shirt sleeve to bandage Elysia's hand.

But as she reached for Elysia's hand, the girl shook her head, the sadness vanishing from her face as if it had never been there, replaced by an unprecedented solemnity.

"Thank you, Elysia," Eden whispered. Even with the icy grip of fear clutching her heart, her voice remained elegant and melodic, the slight tremor at the end adding a touch of fragility.

She should thank her. If she hadn't been with Elysia, Eden felt her fate wouldn't have been any better than the… person… they had just unearthed.

Besides, she didn't know what else to say to Elysia other than thank you.

Comfort her? Perhaps.

But she didn't feel qualified to comfort Elysia.

"Eden…" Her voice was as gentle as ever, yet firm. "We seem to be in quite a bit of trouble. You need to stay close to me from now on. I've… I won't let you escape from me again, okay?"

Eden didn't reply, simply staying close behind her.

"By the way, do I need to explain what happened here? About Fire Moth, about the Honkai?" Elysia asked softly. She had discussed this with Mikael many times. She believed… at least she thought Mikael shared her opposition to Fire Moth's secrecy.

"Dying aware and dying ignorant have the same outcome, but people have the right to know the truth. That way, they can decide: If tomorrow is the last day of their lives, what should they do now? What can they do? Fight bravely? Or accept their fate? This shouldn't be decided by a small group of people for everyone." Elysia clearly remembered Mikael's words.

But Eden shook her head. "Ordinary people might not know anything about the Honkai, but I… I don't understand much either. But I trust you, Elysia. After all, if it weren't for you, I would have… Let's talk more after this is over. We can continue our conversation from the building, too."

"Mmm-hmm! Okay!" Elysia glanced at Eden's wrist, relieved to see no purple markings. A small smile bloomed on her face.

The light rain turned the dust into a clinging mud, the dark clouds obscuring the moonlight. Amidst the endless ruins, it was impossible to tell even which direction was which.

Elysia checked her communicator and phone. The signals were completely scrambled. She couldn't contact Mikael, let alone understand the situation.

But one thing was certain: the Honkai had erupted. No one needed to tell her that.

"I need to get Eden to safety. Then rendezvous with Mikael." Elysia knew she couldn't protect Eden forever. Ordinary Honkai beasts were one thing, but if a Herrscher appeared…

The rain gradually stopped. The night sea breeze blew, dispersing the dust hanging over the ruins.

"What's wrong, Elysia?"

"Get back!"

Elysia shoved Eden away. At the same time, the remnants of a wall beside them crumbled, and a massive Chariot leaped over her head.

Elysia grunted, her slender arm raised to meet the mountainous Honkai beast. Eden, panicking, saw a flash of pink light. A crystal flower bloomed in Elysia's palm.

Boom!

The Chariot crashed onto the crystal flower, the ground beneath Elysia's feet caving in. With a burst of strength, she flung the Chariot away.

The Chariot landed awkwardly, plowing a deep furrow through the rubble. Its short legs and thick, clumsy forelimbs made it difficult to right itself. Like a beetle flipped on its back, it flailed helplessly.

"Haha! How pathetic. Too bad Mikael can't see this…"

Normally, Elysia would have taken a picture or recorded a video, something she could laugh at later.

But now, she just grinned, not finding it as amusing.

Her bow, Whisper of the Past, wasn't with her. She had been out for dinner, after all. But it didn't matter. Pink crystals coalesced in her hand, forming a bow, a string, and finally, a crystal arrow—it wasn't strictly necessary, but unless it was an emergency, she preferred to fight with a bow. It was simply more elegant.

"Well then… goodbye! Aw, it's a shame I can't take a picture for Mikael."

The slender arrow pierced the Chariot's body, seemingly causing no damage at first.

But then, the Chariot's limbs stiffened, its joints crackling as they hardened. Finally, its body exploded with a bang, dissolving into pink crystalline dust.

Elysia flicked her hair back dramatically, mentally critiquing her performance.

Eden, seeing the danger was over, rushed to Elysia's side, only to hear her muttering to herself:

"Ah! No, no! That movement needs improvement. It wasn't elegant enough… Hmm… could I lift one leg while throwing it? I think that would be much cuter…"

Eden chuckled. Outside of combat, Elysia instantly reverted to the bubbly, slightly eccentric girl she knew.

"Something's strange…" Elysia jumped onto a piece of broken wall. While not the highest point, it offered a good view of the eastern city.

She frowned, studying the scene.

"From a Honkai perspective, there are surprisingly few Honkai beasts and zombies. That Chariot, less than twenty meters tall, was probably the largest one…"

She considered the worst possibility.

"Let's go!"

Elysia grabbed Eden's hand and ran.

If her hunch was correct—the Herrscher was nearby.