Honkai: Fire Moth Herrschers

It was almost nine in the evening. Eden showed no signs of fatigue from her extended performance. On the contrary, with the speaker and backing track, she seemed even more energized, singing one song after another.

"Captain."

A low voice suddenly spoke behind her. The unexpected sound made Himeko jump. If it weren't a familiar voice, she would have instinctively spun around and thrown a punch.

"You're back?" She turned to Mikael.

"What did you say to Immer?" Himeko asked, then immediately regretted it—she didn't like prying, but her curiosity had gotten the better of her.

Fortunately, Mikael didn't mind. He simply shook his head.

His expression turned serious. "Captain, two survivors are missing from the shelter."

"What?! Impossible!" Himeko immediately denied it. The only way in or out of the shelter was through the forward post, which was constantly guarded. It was impossible for anyone to slip out unnoticed!

Mikael knew this too. "But they're definitely gone. The two girls I rescued at the airport."

"!" Himeko tilted her head, thinking. She remembered the two girls, so different yet always together. They were the youngest survivors in the shelter.

She had even comforted them, and the quieter girl had asked her many questions she wasn't supposed to answer… which was why she remembered them so clearly.

"How could they disappear? The shelter has two exits, the forward post and the rear lock. But I locked the rear exit, and the two keys are with me and Elysia. It's impossible… Are you sure they're not resting in the living quarters?"

"I'm sure. I checked the living quarters. No one's there. And the rear exit hasn't been touched. I asked the other survivors. The last time anyone saw them was around five in the afternoon."

"Five in the afternoon…" Himeko rubbed her face.

"Around that time, we switched shifts and went out on a search mission… Could they have slipped out then?"

Mikael sighed. That seemed the most likely scenario. Sunset should have been later in the summer, but due to the devastation caused by Mikael, Elysia, Śeṣa, and the 3rd Herrscher's battles, the air was thick with dust and debris, reducing visibility even during the day.

If they'd found military uniforms, it wouldn't have been impossible to blend in with the soldiers.

And…

"There should be uniforms in the storage area."

"..."

Himeko pressed her fingers to her temples. She was already stressed, and now this. She'd just dealt with the "reinforcements" from headquarters, and now she had missing survivors to worry about.

If it were anyone else, she might have let it go, but Himeko hadn't even given up on the survivors infected with Honkai sickness, who were destined to die. How could she let two healthy young girls disappear without a trace?

Besides, she had taken a liking to the quieter girl.

"Honestly, she seemed like such a well-behaved child. Why would she do something so reckless?!"

She grumbled, but Mikael stopped her.

"Captain… you should rest tonight… Elysia and I will handle this."

Himeko sighed, her exhaustion evident.

"Then… I'll leave it to you…"

She leaned against the cold concrete wall, trying to catch her breath.

---Roasted Chicken Divider---

"Ready, Carole?"

Hua stood by the riverbank, wringing out her wet hair and letting it fall loosely around her shoulders.

"Just a little longer, Hua! We finally snuck out for a bath, I have to make sure I'm squeaky clean!"

Hearing the splashing behind her, Hua sighed almost imperceptibly.

She knew this was wrong. Captain Himeko, and Mikael… they would be worried if they found out she was gone…

Hmm… maybe she was being presumptuous. Perhaps she wasn't that important to them.

Besides, it shouldn't be too dangerous here—less than two kilometers from the shelter, in the area where Striker Eureka and Śeṣa had fought. The ground was flattened, covered in rubble. Even if Honkai beasts or zombies appeared, they'd see them coming from a distance.

She dried herself with the undershirt from the military uniform she'd taken from the storage area, then picked up her dirty school uniform. After a moment of hesitation, she put on the oversized military jacket, pants, and boots, clutching the worn school uniform to her chest.

This was wrong… but when Carole had brought the uniforms, she hadn't been able to refuse…

And, even though the river water was murky… the bath had felt so good…

"Ready, Carole?" she called out again.

Without a watch or clock, she didn't know how long they'd been gone, but it was definitely nighttime.

Using the faint moonlight to orient herself, Hua gazed longingly towards the north.

She had asked Himeko about her hometown, but even with her authority, it was difficult to track down a small, insignificant village in the vast expanse of China.

So, Himeko had only been able to tell her, "Currently, eastern China and the Japanese archipelago are affected by this disaster, so…"

Hua understood.

If even a major city like Shanghai was helpless against the disaster, then other areas would be even more vulnerable.

But she still held a sliver of hope—her hometown was a remote village, located somewhere between the coast and the inland… what if it had been spared?

People tended to believe what they wanted to believe.

For example, in Hua's mind, "eastern China" had automatically become "eastern coastal China"…

"Let's go… Hua…"

Carole stood beside her, also gazing north, her usual cheerful tone replaced by a quiet solemnity.

"Carole…"

"Yeah?"

"Arc City is a big city. I heard Captain Himeko say they have a squad stationed there…"

Hua trailed off.

Even if there was a squad stationed there, so what?

They had only found a little over three hundred survivors in Shanghai, out of a pre-disaster population of nearly twenty-five million. The survival rate was—one in eighty thousand.

Carole didn't reply.

The two girls stood in silence, staring towards their homes.

"Oh no! It's too late! We have to get back!"

Carole suddenly exclaimed, clapping her hand to her forehead.

"You think?"

The two girls ran through the streets. Suddenly, Carole tripped and fell.

"Wah! On the ground! On the ground!"

"What's on the ground?!"

Hua squatted down, seeing a body on the ground—strangely, it didn't smell.

"This… this lady! Haven't we met before?!"

Hua switched on her small flashlight. In the dim light, she saw the light green hair.

"This… this is that…"

"Get back!"

A familiar voice shouted. Hua felt someone grab her collar, pulling her back roughly.