I've already said this isn't a life simulator!

...Then it unleashed a torrent of flames that engulfed their figures.

If she hadn't been positioned further back, and if her sense of crisis, honed from years of martial arts training, hadn't made her retreat immediately, she probably would have been burned by the flames.

But... Hua doesn't remember much about what happened after that.

She just wanted to escape from there, to get away from it... She was afraid, afraid to confront the captain who had been so kind to her, afraid to become his enemy.

So... she turned around and ran away.

Although she didn't know why it didn't attack her while she was running away, Hua was at a loss and could only flee aimlessly, trying to get as far away from it and the flames as possible, and to go to a place where the temperature wasn't so high.

But...where can we escape to?

The fire was still burning, making the air hot and dry. I could feel the moisture in my body constantly being lost, and the long run only intensified this feeling. I tried to adjust my breathing several times, but I still couldn't stop panting. With each breath, the hot air I inhaled took away the little moisture left in my mouth. With each breath, I could almost hear a friction sound in my throat.

She forced her chapped lips shut and made a swallowing motion, trying to moisten her throat with the little saliva she had to relieve the increasingly intense stinging sensation. But this was a drop in the ocean, and when she opened her mouth again, it felt as if she were tearing her lips apart.

But Hua didn't care about any of that; he just kept running away, filled with confusion, panic, and... fear.

As far as the eye could see, there were flames and ruins everywhere. Even the sky was dark and gloomy, without the slightest bit of light.

All that could be seen was the fire that was about to consume everything, and the thick smoke billowing from it.

She had been running for a long time, but nothing around her had changed, as if she were still by its side... Once she had this thought, she became more and more afraid and confused.

She didn't know what to do or where to go, so she could only rely on her survival instincts and desperately try to escape.

Only now did she realize that she had never been a warrior, or even a soldier... She was just an ordinary person, who would panic and feel lost when faced with the Honkai, and who only knew how to run away.

It hurts so much... really... so much...

How long have you been running? I don’t know… Her throat was so dry that she felt like she was about to cough up blood at any moment. Thick smoke obscured her vision, and a strange smell filled her nostrils, causing her to feel a tightness in her chest.

Sadness, panic, helplessness... a barrage of emotions weighed on her, nearly crushing her thoughts.

Ultimately, these emotions converged and transformed into...despair.

That friend who was once close to me... has long since passed away.

The captain who had guided him... transformed into a "monster" before his eyes, becoming a "Herrscher".

Those comrades who accompanied him... also turned to ashes.

For the first time, she had the thought, "Should I just perish in the flames and go with them?"

For the first time, she understood why some people envied those who had no Honkai resistance... Those people would die the moment the Honkai erupted, their thoughts stopping in their beautiful daily lives, without any pain, and without needing to fight for survival.

So be it……

Hua's pace gradually slowed down, whether it was because her body was too exhausted from running, or because of the despair that gradually took hold of her heart.

It's too painful... It's too tiring... Giving up now, finding relief now, isn't so bad—thoughts like these lingered in her mind, gradually taking over her thoughts.

So be it……

Hua stood still, panting—she was exhausted.

???~

In the distance, a familiar song drifted by, gentle and soft, like water and wind.

"It's Xiwang's song... huh?"

Hua said it subconsciously, then paused for a moment.

Xi Wang, hope... Ha... If this pun appeared on a normal day, it would bring a knowing smile, but at this moment, it gives people a subtle sense of reassurance.

It's as if the word itself possesses some kind of power.

tick-

"It's raining?"

Hua felt the water droplets falling on her body and muttered to herself in surprise.

She doesn't like rainy days; the rain can cause many things to be delayed, and the damp air is also somewhat unpleasant... But at this moment, this dampness is so reassuring and so fortunate.

The raging flames were contained, the thick fog that obscured visibility was washed away... and everything around became clear.

"...Let's go find them first."

As Hua said this, she subconsciously moved closer to the direction from which the singing was coming. Her originally tired body seemed to have some strength at this moment, allowing her to slowly jog and get closer to the singing more quickly.

Hua... understood a little better now, why everyone who was rescued was so grateful to Xiwang.

In this environment of rampant panic and pervasive despair, his songs are like a ray of sunlight piercing through the dark clouds, giving people direction; his songs are like a life-saving straw, making people unconsciously want to grasp them.

Hope/Hope...what a wonderful word.

Thinking this, Hua jogged toward the direction from which the singing was coming.

The sounds of the "Fire Moth" weapon can already be heard, and Honkai Beasts can be seen moving slowly around from time to time... They are all attracted by Dawn's "Song".

If you continue forward, you will see the soldiers who are steadily reinforcing the lines, Xiwang surrounded by them, singing joyfully in the rain, and Eden by his side.

However, when they saw her arrive, they did not show any joy. In fact, their eyes were filled with fear as they looked at her. Even Xi Wang stopped singing and looked over with surprise in her eyes.

……Why?

Hua was somewhat dazed.

Is it because I shouldn't have come here? Or... ah, right, that's right, I shouldn't have been here in the first place. My captain has already become a "monster," a "Herrscher" right before my eyes, and even my other teammates have turned to ashes.

I should have been like that too, disappearing in the flames. Maybe I would have been praised and given the nice title of "sacrifice".

But here I am, standing perfectly fine... No matter how you look at me, I look like a deserter who abandoned his comrades... right?

In that case, it's only natural that they wouldn't welcome them.

On the battlefield, no one likes a deserter who abandons his comrades.

Hua sighed inwardly, remaining unmoved by the weapons raised by the soldiers, until... a pale pink hue, like cherry blossoms, caught her eye.

"Get down."

As Sakura said this, a flash of icy blue light appeared, and the cold aura suppressed the heat behind Hua. Then, with incredible speed, she grabbed Hua and, before the other soldiers could pull the trigger, took her away from the spot and circled back into the ranks.

Only then did Hua notice... that it had been following her closely, the flames as if she hadn't strayed an inch from it despite her long escape.

"I've been discovered..."

She said this, in a tone she would never normally use.

"........."

Although they had expected it, the soldiers were still shocked when they actually saw it... It was not a pleasant feeling to see their former comrades transformed into "monsters".

Not to mention, many people had received Himiko's care in the past, but the "Herrscher" in front of them... was wearing her appearance and showing terrifying hostility towards them.

"However, I still want to thank you, Hua."

With a slight upturn of its lips, it looked at Hua, who was still somewhat shaken in the group, and suddenly said this.

"Thank you for bringing me to this concert."

? !

Although they realized that she said it on purpose, some people still subconsciously moved their feet away from Hua, and some unconsciously turned their heads and glanced at her with a surprised look. But they quickly realized how impolite their actions were and forcibly turned back.

"........."

But Hua still noticed it.

She didn't refute it, after all, it had followed her closely... that was a fact.

“If you could say that you were drawn here by my singing, perhaps I, as the lead singer, would be happier, Ms. [Herrscher].

Xi Wang subtly took half a step forward, blocking Hua's meaningful gaze and shielding Hua from the suspicious and astonished stares of the others.

Seeing this, the others also stepped in front of Xi Wang one after another... No matter what, they had to protect Xi Wang in its hands, and everything else could be put aside for the time being.

"Haha... I like what you say, just like your song."

It smiled and stopped looking at Xi Wang.

"So... could you sing a song for me, your fan?"

As it said this, it raised its hand and gently snapped its fingers.

"Of course, it's only for me."

boom--

Flames surged forth, incinerating all the surrounding Honkai Beasts and forming a wall of fire that trapped Xi Wang and the others inside.

Reaching out, he grabbed at the sky in Xi Wang's direction, and a crimson flame appeared out of thin air, rushing straight towards Xi Wang, burning all the soldiers who tried to stop him to ashes. The intense heat forced the others to flee, leaving them... only able to dodge in a sorry state.

tick-

The rain was still falling, but it was not enough to combat the raging flames.

Wielding the icy blue blade, he used the cold wind and ice to reduce the intensity of the flames, but with little effect.

The sound of a trigger being pulled rang out, and countless attacks came, only to be burned away by the scorching flames midway.

It's useless...it's useless! Such attacks alone cannot stop it at all!

People could only watch it, step by step, slowly, walking towards the sunrise.

Anything that stood in her way was burned. Eventually, it even got carried away and stopped killing people. It merely forced them back, knocked them away, and then set their bodies on fire. Little by little, slowly, it used the burning pain to hinder their movements and the intense heat to keep them conscious. It made them watch helplessly as the hope they were protecting was grabbed by the neck and held in its hand.

"very nice."

As it said this, it slightly increased the pressure on its hand and crushed the amplification device around Yu Xiwang's neck.

"That way, your voice won't be able to travel."

Then, slowly, she used the flowing flames to burn him bit by bit, and then, as if displaying her most prized work, she showed Xi Wang to everyone, letting them clearly see the faint purple patterns that appeared on Xi Wang's body.

Ah... the corruption of collapse appeared on Xi Wang, and... right in front of them.

"Don't worry, I won't kill you."

It spoke softly, as if comforting Xiwang.

"As long as you are here, as long as you are this 'hope,' they will come forward one after another, fearlessly, just like moths drawn to a flame... You see, doesn't this perfectly match their name?"

It was still smiling, but it looked full of mockery towards everyone.