"Captain..."
"Don't go over there. This is her own business. Our intervention will only make it harder for her to accept reality."
Himeko stopped the squad members, not letting anyone interfere with Hua's will.
In fact, this was Hua's personal family matter; outsiders like them shouldn't intrude.
Under the natural disaster known as Honkai, death and sacrifice were commonplace, without exception.
The most terrifying aspect of Honkai wasn't its ability to erode all things, nor its capacity to spawn devastating natural disasters.
It was how it made death seem light – so light that a single sentence could summarize a person's entire life, whether calm or turbulent; so light that people grew numb to death; so light that people began to disregard the preciousness of life.
Therefore, acknowledging one's own mortality was particularly important. Even a child most unable to accept the death of loved ones would eventually grow up.
Afterwards, their hearts might become numb, indifferent to scenes of sacrifice.
Only after experiencing both extremes and finding that point of balance could she understand what she was truly fighting for, and what she was living for.
Looking out, Himeko's crimson eyes reflected the bloody earth littered with countless severed limbs. Most limbs were mangled beyond recognition, blurred flesh crushed into dust-like particles.
A few limbs still bore clothing – right there in front of Hua.
Left hand, right hand, shoulder, legs...
Are there no duplicates among the clothed limbs?
Himeko noticed this detail but didn't dwell on it, instead turning her attention back to the quiet Hua.
Hua stood rooted to the spot, motionless like a scarecrow in a field, swaying precariously in the slight breeze.
Her eyes were desolate, her deathly pale face proclaiming that the dam of her inner faith had already burst. She would never again see the boy who secretly prepared birthday gifts for her, the mischievous one who tugged at her heartstrings.
That day, I opened the box and let Mo out, finally...
"..."
Hua walked forward, picked up the fragmented limbs from the ground, and held them to her chest. The limbs were cold, without a trace of residual warmth.
Hua remained silent, blankly taking step after step forward, picking up every piece of limb bearing Li Mo's clothes.
Soon, her arms were full of a pile of ruined organs and severed limbs.
This scene made the members of the 5th Squad involuntarily turn their heads away. The image was too grotesque, difficult to accept.
Even if it was a deceased relative, one wouldn't normally hold them like a lover.
Of course, no one said anything. They merely assumed Hua's mental state was poor, unable to accept the reality of her loved one's death, or perhaps, holding these severed limbs allowed Hua to feel the person was still beside her.
Hua looked up, her jade-green eyes completely dimmed. Like a wind-up doll, she took stiff steps towards the martial arts hall deeper within the ruins.
"Give her a bag," Himeko said.
After all, Hua couldn't keep carrying that pile of fragmented remains in her arms. It was fine with only the 5th Squad members present, but once outside, if someone with ill intentions saw this scene, it would likely cause trouble and gossip.
It wouldn't be good for the child's future development.
Hua looked at the broken remains in her arms, then lifted her head, casting her gaze towards the distant martial arts hall, whose blurry outline was visible.
The martial arts hall had been largely destroyed. Towering buildings around it had collapsed. One skyscraper had fallen directly onto the hall, splitting it in two.
A raging fire, spreading from a nearby chemical plant, had reached the hall, almost burning it to ashes.
One didn't even need to think to know the fate of everyone inside.
Only a fool could deceive themselves at this point.
Hua agreed. She asked for two bags.
One to hold Li Mo's shattered organs and severed limbs.
The other, presumably, was intended for her father's ashes.
"..."
Along the way, Hua didn't say another word. She walked at the very front, her hands hanging limply at her sides.
Himeko and the other squad members tacitly understood not to speak further.
They knew this child needed some time to digest and accept this tragedy.
Only when the group reached the martial arts hall did Hua finally speak.
"I'll go in alone..."
A member of the 5th Squad stepped forward, advising, "It's better if two people accompany you. We can react promptly if danger arises, avoid any accidents."
Hua turned back. The others saw her pupils were faintly unfocused, lacking light.
"Thank you, but no need."
After saying this, Hua entered the smoke-filled martial arts hall alone.
"Captain, should we follow her quietly?"
"No need."
Himeko scanned the surroundings, noticing large numbers of Honkai Beasts and Deadmen piled up near the martial arts hall, their deaths extremely gruesome, as if sliced into pieces by some sharp weapon.
Did Fire Moth send others for rescue?
No, impossible.
Fire Moth wasn't a charitable organization. Its founding principle was to maintain the rule of the United Nations and minimize Honkai damage to various countries as much as possible.
As an organization specifically dedicated to fighting Honkai, it would absolutely not expend vast amounts of manpower, resources, and finances to rescue a few insignificant survivors.
Moreover, the danger level wasn't low. Entering Shanghai City alone was no different from suicide. Humans have limits; even the strongest have moments when stamina is depleted, combat power plummets rapidly, and they get killed.
Unless fully equipped like the 5th Squad, with armor and weapons representing cutting-edge technology, and every member being a well-trained warrior.
Only under such conditions could they enter half a month after the Honkai eruption, when the energy levels had sufficiently decreased, to attempt rescue.
They didn't hold much hope of saving anyone, focusing more on collecting supplies and crucial unknown intelligence related to Honkai.
"Besides the obvious cutting marks, there are also marks left by fists. Was that unknown entity human or monster?"
Himeko walked up to a Templar-class Honkai Beast. Templar-class were already considered high-tier Honkai Beasts, very troublesome.
Without a captain leading, ordinary soldiers encountering one could only pray it didn't notice them.
Himeko herself could defeat one alone, but definitely couldn't kill it with a single punch.
Yet this dead Templar-class Honkai Beast had only one fatal wound.
A hole punched through its chest, the shape of a fist.
It was killed by a single punch through its body.
Beyond that, Himeko found other evidence hinting at the entity's fighting style.
The Templar-class Honkai Beast's head had distinct grab marks, suggesting it was seized by the head.
But... who fights Honkai Beasts using street-brawler methods?
Did they grab the Honkai Beast's head and slam it into the ground like playing 'whack-a-mole' [锄大地 - chu da di, literally "hoe the earth"]?
Himeko grew even more curious about the entity's identity. It slaughtered Honkai Beasts and Deadmen. Even if not human, it could be an ally to Fire Moth.
Although Fire Moth's internal structure and upper leadership were very exclusive and disdainful of such anomalies, for a captain like her, responsible for a specific region and handling various sudden Honkai incidents, that unknown entity was a rare talent.
Identity, race, personality – none mattered. As long as it could be useful, it was a friend.
"Captain, she's coming out."
"Mm."
Amidst the billowing smoke, Hua emerged, looking dishevelled, covering her nose, struggling to step over the flames at her feet.
The bag in her hand was empty, containing nothing.
Himeko: "Looks like you didn't find anything."
Hua: "..."
Himeko: "So what will you do next? Continue searching in this city?"
Hua: "If I do that, what are the consequences?"
Himeko: "You'll die. Maybe a Dual-Blade Deadman jumps out from some corner and cuts off your head, or maybe a Honkai Beast that hasn't left finds you and crushes you into paste. There are many possibilities."
"Of course, if you're lucky, you might avoid everything I mentioned. But there's one thing you can't escape: Honkai erosion."
"Even though it's been half a month since the eruption in Shanghai City, it doesn't mean this is a place where the living can thrive. The ground surface and the entire city are permeated with Honkai energy. Every breath you take here, every inch of unprotected skin, will be eroded by Honkai energy."
"The armor only reduces the amount of Honkai energy entering your body; it can't completely block it. Current scientific levels can't achieve complete isolation either."
"A normal person wouldn't last half a day in this harsh environment before being eroded into a Deadman or dying. Based on the average Honkai resistance of survivors, plus this anti-erosion armor, you can last three days at most."
"It's not that you'll be safe if you leave within three days. After three days, you will directly turn into a Deadman. Even if you leave midway, the Honkai erosion won't disappear. It will continue to parasitize your body, devouring every drop of normal blood, every normal cell. The pain is akin to pouring lemon juice onto your tooth nerves – so painful you can't maintain any position for more than five seconds. Sleep becomes an extravagant hope."
Hua: "..."
Himeko: "Actually, you understand, don't you? Dragging this out further is meaningless. The corpse in your bag will accumulate a large amount of Honkai energy. By the time you take it back, it might have completely necrotized, turning into a pile of bloody mud. Even so, do you want to continue searching?"
Hua: "Thank you for indulging my willfulness. Let's go..."
Although she didn't find her father's remains, at least she found Mo's body, even if fragmented.
Himeko: "Squad dismissed. Prepare to leave."
Himeko directed the team. They had only been in Shanghai City for a few hours. With the armor's power set to maximum, the amount of Honkai energy erosion into their bodies was minimal.
Before leaving, Hua couldn't help but look back. The once-thriving martial arts hall, vivid in her memory, was now ruins, its former prosperity gone.
Many people she knew were buried there, along with her past.
After leaving Shanghai City, Hua stared intently at the bag. The other bag remained empty.
"Where do you plan to go next?"
Himeko turned around, her gaze sharp, looking at Hua's gloomy face.
Himeko knew Hua needed a reason to live. When all relatives are dead, home destroyed, and spiritual support gone, a person becomes a fragile piece of paper. Any insignificant storm can easily tear them into fragments.
Hua shook her head: "I don't know."
Himeko: "The squad members behind me gave the same answer back then. So, do you want to try joining us, the Fire Moth Anti-Honkai Combat Unit, 5th Squad? We manage Honkai incidents across the entire Australian continent."
Hua: "I'll join."
Himeko: "Don't answer so quickly. You might not understand what it truly means to be a warrior, what responsibilities you need to bear."
"I'll give you three days to consider. No more time, because the Honkai won't give you time to think, just like the Shanghai City eruption. It never asks if humanity is ready to face this nightmare... I'm rambling. I will take you back to the territory I manage, let you see with your own eyes what Fire Moth warriors need to do."
"During these three days, you can come find me anytime if you want to leave. I will permit it."
"But if you change your mind after three days, I won't treat you as an exception. Understand?"
Himeko wasn't sure if Hua understood. Ever since seeing the severed limbs in the bag, Hua had been lifeless, seemingly carrying a mountain of negative energy.
Perhaps she truly understood, or perhaps she had simply lost the ability to think, passively agreeing without her own opinion.
That's why Himeko gave Hua three days, to let her think carefully.
Some choices, once made, leave no room for regret.
And regardless of the choice, the final outcome cannot be predicted. The future is always changing. In the present, we can only make choices that leave as few regrets as possible.
After that, one must bear the consequences of their choices, paying the price whether they can afford it or not.
Hua followed Himeko back to the Australian branch, one of the few survivors of Shanghai City's Third Honkai Eruption.
Within three days, Himeko made Hua a temporary warrior to experience the life, while also sending her to the survivor base for a full physical examination, including Honkai energy resistance testing.
During these three days, Hua experienced a lot, more than in the bleak years of her childhood before Mo entered her life.
Here, there was praise from people—
"Did you hear? There's an incredible person among the survivors, took down a Deadman single-handedly."
"Really? But without weapons and equipment, humans are no match for those monsters. I heard that unless you hit a vital spot on those Deadmen, bullets are useless no matter how many you fire."
"Captain Himeko herself said it when she was drunk, could it be false? She's among us, and she's a girl..."
Hua felt no satisfaction.
She knew this was just an excuse for survivors to escape the shadow of "Honkai," seeking solace.
Here, there was jealousy towards her—
"Why did she stay in Shanghai City for so long and not die! While I was only on the outskirts for half an hour and got eroded by Honkai! No, don't send me away, I don't want to die!"
"Resign yourself to fate. Who told you and me to be just ordinary people? You can tell from Captain Himeko's attitude towards us."
"She went into Shanghai City to find someone for an unrelated girl, but ignored our pleas for so long. Why? Just because that girl has talent? Is her family's life worth more than our family's lives?"
"S-rank Honkai resistance, hehe..."
Hua felt no sadness.
She knew this was just the cowardly trying to cover up their powerlessness and flight, blaming all their mistakes on fate.
She knew she was just like them, this cowardly, blaming all her mistakes and misfortunes on the unfairness and absurdity of fate.
She was just as despicable as these people, one of the many selfish, lowly, yet greedy humans wanting more.
Here, there were expectations for her—
"Your foundation is excellent. I've reviewed your file. You studied martial arts for over ten years; your physique is extremely strong. Without Honkai energy enhancement, weapons, or armor, relying solely on personal strength, you killed a Dual-Blade Deadman. Your evaluation ranks 12th among all survivors in recent years."
"By the way, the second rank is also like you, a victim of the Third Honkai Eruption. His name is Kevin Kaslana. His achievement was killing a juvenile Chariot-class Honkai Beast with a sturdy baseball bat, then escaping NagazoraCity with his girlfriend."
"That's right, a juvenile Chariot-class Honkai Beast, the same kind you didn't have the courage to face back then."
"But don't belittle yourself. You just didn't have anyone you wanted to protect behind you. Whereas if he didn't fight, he would have had to watch his girlfriend die."
"So I believe, if one day you find your reason to fight, you might not necessarily lose to him."
"Hua, Captain Himeko is right. Back then, we didn't even dare face an ordinary Deadman. You are much stronger than us."
"Give it time, you will definitely go further than us, save people we couldn't save."
"Of course, we won't force you to become a warrior. But if you truly choose this path, we will definitely do our best to help you. Because by then, we'll be comrades, right?"
"Yes, about you saying proximity brings misfortune, I didn't feel it. From the moment we entered Shanghai City until we left, didn't nothing happen?"
Hua felt inferior and guilty.
She knew that even if she fought with all her might until exhaustion, she couldn't kill that Honkai Beast. Her warrior instincts and every cell in her body told her that fighting it meant certain death.
The ancient martial arts she practiced for over ten years became a complete joke at that moment.
It didn't bring her any closer to her family; instead, it made her flee in utter disarray.
As for comrades... was she still qualified to have comrades?
She would bring misfortune and bad luck to everyone who got close to her. If she became their comrade, became Captain Himeko's comrade... would they... suffer the same fate as Dad and Mo?
Mo had once said the same thing to her, that he didn't believe he would be affected by her misfortune.
Yet, Mo was now in her hands, in the bag.