Honkai: Fire Moth Herrschers

...

Mikael awoke in the underground shelter. The backup generator roared incessantly, its efficacy evident in the flickering incandescent bulbs overhead.

His eyelids felt like sandpaper, only allowing him to open his eyes a crack. His mouth was parched, his tongue glued to the roof of his mouth, stifling any desire to speak.

He didn't know how long he'd been asleep. He turned his head, his mind feeling heavy. The pillow beneath his head was warm, soft, and fragrant. He instinctively shifted, turning his head to the right and reaching out to hug his pillow.

Of course, there was no pillow. His nails scraped against the rough concrete wall of the shelter, sending a jolt of pain through his hand.

Before he could cry out, his face buried itself in something even warmer, softer, and more fragrant.

Through a thin layer of "pillowcase," he felt the muscles beneath tense—it wasn't a pillow, but a girl's waist.

His nose pressed against her, and he held his breath. Saliva finally returned to his mouth, and he swallowed with a loud gulp.

The sound echoed in the silence, causing the girl's relaxed waist to tense again.

"Rumble… rumble…"

He was so close he could clearly hear her stomach rumbling, and faintly, her heartbeat.

Then, another, more distinct thumping joined the chorus—his own heart.

One clear, one faint, the two heartbeats quickened, growing louder, until they synchronized.

No!

Mikael couldn't take it anymore!

He scrambled to his feet, stumbling towards the makeshift bathroom, guided by the hand-drawn signs on cardboard.

Five minutes later, relieved and refreshed, having held his breath for the same duration (he didn't need to breathe, but the scent was overwhelming), he emerged from the foul-smelling bathroom.

Rubbing his still-sore eyes, he noticed Aldemir, who had been startled awake by the noise. The young soldier's eyes widened, and he jumped up, whispering excitedly, "Squad Leader Mikael is awake!"

The other soldiers stirred, murmuring briefly before succumbing to exhaustion again, leaning against the cold, rough walls, dozing off mid-sentence.

Mikael counted. There were only a dozen or so soldiers with him. It wasn't due to heavy casualties—there had been casualties, but not enough to reduce Squad 5 to this number, especially since he'd dealt with the biggest threats.

A similar number of soldiers and a few surviving military police were maintaining order in the adjacent civilian shelter, where over two hundred survivors were housed, most suffering from Honkai sickness—this was the result of Squad 5's relentless search and rescue efforts over the past two days.

Yes, two days. It was now fifty hours after the eruption. Mikael had been unconscious for thirty-eight hours.

Their task wasn't just maintaining order—if any of the infected turned into zombies… Fortunately, that hadn't happened yet.

As for the others… Himeko, along with the remaining members of Squad 5 and the support team, were still searching for survivors, even though they had already combed through the western city, and there were unlikely to be any more.

And Mobius, that strange woman, hadn't returned to the shelter in two days.

And then there was the most shocking news—

"This morning, the Herrscher tried to escape by sea, but was repelled by the Fire Moth One, which was on standby at the river mouth. Captain Himeko said they've mobilized a large task force to block the Herrscher's escape route by sea."

Aldemir informed him.

To which, Mikael could only think:

The Fire Moth One was incredibly lucky.

And… how was the 3rd Herrscher still alive?

"We don't know the details. Squad Leader Elysia carried you back… Maybe you should ask her?"

Mikael returned to Elysia's side.

She was leaning against the wall, eyes closed, head bowed, her breathing steady—as if she were asleep.

"Elysia?"

"Elysia?"

She didn't respond.

Mikael blew on his hands, then gently poked Elysia's waist.

He felt the muscles tense beneath his fingertips, and her breathing hitched.

Mikael touched his nose, sniffing the lingering fragrance on his fingers. He knew she was embarrassed about their earlier… close contact.

But that was fine. He knew how to wake someone who was pretending to sleep.

He leaned down, whispering into her ear, "Pink thigh…"

Before he could finish the word "pillow," he yelped.

The nearby soldiers, startled awake, saw Elysia dragging Mikael out of the shelter by his ear.

"Pfft!"

Several soldiers chuckled. Squad Leader Mikael might be strong, but he was clearly no match for Elysia.

Outside the shelter, Elysia finally released his ear.

Walking through the ruins, Mikael trailed behind Elysia, keeping to the shadows, his gaze fixed on her silhouette in the dim moonlight.

He noticed her slightly unnatural gait and quickly realized her leg was probably numb from being his pillow. He caught up, hesitating briefly before taking her arm.

Elysia swayed slightly, accepting the gesture.

"It's my fault. The 3rd Herrscher was completely helpless. I thought victory was certain, so I didn't kill her immediately. As I approached her, that snake-like Honkai beast you fought emerged from the ground and took her away. Oh, headquarters has given it a name—Śeṣa, a Judgment-class Honkai beast."

Mikael rubbed his forehead.

Although Elysia took responsibility, Mikael knew it was his fault.

He should have known about Śeṣa's potential regenerative abilities. No, he did know.

But his concern for Elysia had clouded his judgment, and he'd even forgotten to warn Mobius and Himeko. He had also assumed Śeṣa's recovery would take several hours, if not longer. He'd been too optimistic.

Regret was pointless. He needed to focus on the present.

"What's the 3rd Herrscher's condition now? Aldemir said she tried to escape by sea this morning."

"Yes…" Elysia confirmed. "But she's severely injured. The Fire Moth One, in its ship mode, is stationed at the river mouth. It can't use its railguns, but its missiles were enough to repel the Herrscher."

"Hmm…" Mikael pondered. "But why didn't she escape by land? Headquarters hasn't sent reinforcements. That's a clear opening for the Herrscher. And… the 3rd Herrscher can transform into lightning and move at light speed. If she wanted to escape, how could she be so easily detected and repelled?"

Elysia tilted her head, equally puzzled. "As for the first question… maybe she's afraid of us? And the second… perhaps she's too injured to fully utilize her powers?"

Mikael shook his head slightly. He couldn't figure it out either.

If they compared her to the 2nd Herrscher, the 3rd Herrscher's actions should be explained by instinct, like an animal.

But "instinct" didn't equate to "unintelligent." Snakes, wolves, eagles… many animals were known for their cunning and ruthlessness.

Mikael massaged his temples—it wasn't a major problem. As long as the 3rd Herrscher remained trapped in the eastern city, the situation wasn't critical.

For now, he needed to focus on his own problems.