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

Since the blood relative has acknowledged it, she will also acknowledge it.

Blood relatives are important.

"Blood relatives would not want to see this."

wow-

"That's enough, Mother."

Skadi growled.

"That's enough."

She kept her head down, trying hard not to look at the sky.

"That's... enough..."

Skadi murmured softly, clutching the hunter's hat tightly to her chest.

I'm sorry... [blood relative]... I... am late...

sorry……

wow-

The seawater, no longer turbulent, flowed gently, soothing her emotions and then softly draping a garment over Skadi, who was completely naked.

It was a dark-colored hunter's outfit, similar to the one worn by Xiwang.

…………

"Get out!!! Get away from me!!!"

Thousand Calamity's roar echoed among the "Fire-Chasing Moths." Many warriors wanted to stop him, but they couldn't bring themselves to strike hard... However, Thousand Calamity didn't have so many scruples. Although he wouldn't kill anyone, he had already seriously injured several.

"You bunch of useless trash!!! You cripples who only know how to obey orders!!! Get out of here!!!"

"Are we just going to let those bastards go and waste air and food?! Or are you actually just like them?!"

With a single punch, Qianjie broke the arm of the warrior blocking his way. He roared and howled. A glittering pendant hung on his chest, its style somewhat similar to the strange mask on his face, but more exquisite, and it even had some flame patterns, as if it were burning.

The golden notes danced quietly, but appeared very faint, because the moment they appeared, they would transform into the shape of "flames," providing power for the Thousand Tribulations.

Fire...fire!!! Only this can express his feelings at this moment! His anger at this moment!

“He did it voluntarily, Qianjie.”

"Voluntary? Voluntary?! Do you guys even believe that kind of nonsense yourselves?!"

"Everything is for humanity, through countless tribulations."

"Hehe...haha...hahahahaha!!!"

Qian Jie suddenly sneered, and in the end, he laughed wildly. However, there was no smile in his eyes under the mask, only resentment, only anger that was almost tangible.

"Screw you!!! If you dare use that excuse again, I guarantee... I guarantee! You'll die!!!"

"Now! Get out of my way! I don't want to bother you! I just want those disgusting bastards to get out of those comfortable places! To stomp their faces in the mud!! To splatter their blood on the earth!!!"

“Thousand Tribulations…you know, this is not allowed…”

The soldiers looked troubled.

"I'll say it again, get out of here!!!"

The musical notes transformed into "flames," surging forth with intense heat, as if to ignite everything around them.

"Qian Jie... please stop."

It was a soft, sorrowful sound.

"Aponia...Aponia!!! You! Are you with them too?!"

"Qianjie, please don't go any further. This is... an inevitable thing, an unavoidable ending, and also his choice."

"Huh?! You want to...stop me?!"

"Yes, I have to do this in order to... reach that [endgame]."

Aponia lowered her eyelids slightly and gently grasped the cross pendant on her chest... It seemed to be a new pendant.

"Hehe...hahaha...hahahaha!!! Are you going to tell me now that you foresaw his fate, that you foresaw all of this?!"

"……Yes."

"Then why don't you stop him?! You said your eyes would always be on him, so why aren't you willing to do anything for him?! Why are you still standing by and doing nothing?!"

"In order to reach that... happy [end].

"(Exaggeration)!!! You clearly foresaw all of this!!! You clearly knew it would turn out like this!!! Why didn't you do anything!!!"

"...Please be quiet, Qianjie."

"How dare you!!! Use that [thing] to restrain me?! You still have the thing he gave you! How dare you use that [thing] to restrain me?!!"

"This is the necessary [precept], for a thousand kalpas."

"A! Bon! N! Ya! You deserve to die!!!"

"........."

Seeing Thousand Calamity bound in place by the [Discipline], only able to rage helplessly, Aponia's eyelids drooped slightly, her pupils overflowing with sorrow. Her hand gripping the cross pendant tightened unconsciously, almost digging the pendant into her flesh.

…………

"If you're so capable, then kill us all, Kevin."

A soldier looked at the white-haired man in front of him with a cold smile. Even though his whole body was burned and there were still shards of ice on his eyebrows, he could not stop his mocking smile.

“I won’t do that. Your side effects have disappeared, and now the ‘Firemoths’ are willing to accept you back as warriors, to fight for humanity once more.”

"Heh...haha...don't be ridiculous, 'Fire Moths'? What are those idiots?! They talk about fighting for humanity...what right do they have to say that?! Aren't you the ones truly risking your lives on the front lines? Aren't we the ones?!"

The wounded warrior staggered to his feet... and along with many other warriors like him, took a difficult step forward.

"And... Kevin, don't you think about it? Do the 'Firemoths' even still consider us human? Do they still see us as 'human'? Back then, during the fusion warrior surgery, all we did was have the surgery fail, and they announced to the outside world that we were all dead, then dumped us in that dark place called 'The Deepest Abyss,' leaving us to fend for ourselves! Leaving us to suffer the side effects of the surgery until we were mentally broken! And then sinking into oblivion in pain!"

"If it weren't for his [song], I, we, wouldn't even be standing here talking to you right now! Oh no... without him, we wouldn't even be able to get out of here. We would probably just have died quietly at some point, let alone come to see you, haha... sorry, I said something ridiculous, haha..."

"And do you even know what the expressions on the faces of our loved ones and comrades were when we returned?! Not joy, but surprise and panic! They just thought we had been resurrected due to some kind of Honkai effect, and they never even considered the possibility that we were still alive!"

"When they saw us, they even showed... hostility and fear? Can you imagine how we felt?"

"........."

Kevin remained silent.

"And then? Do you know what I heard from them?"

"They are wondering, questioning, and worried. Has Xi Wang done something again? Does Xi Wang, as a [Herrscher], have any other abilities? Like resurrecting the dead or something?"

"Hahaha... Hahahaha!!! Do you know how we felt when we heard the rejection and disgust in their words, when we heard their absolute certainty that [Xi Wang is a Herrscher]?!"

"Do you know what we were thinking when we learned that 'The Moth Chasing the Flame' identified Dawn as a [Herrscher]?!"

"We just want to kill those bastards!! And then blow away this utterly useless and ungrateful 'moth chasing the flame'!!!"

"And... you still have the nerve to mention side effects? Look at you! Didn't he solve your side effects?! Didn't he solve all our side effects?! But what about you?! How did you treat him?! Throwing him to the moon? I heard you even built a [prison] on the moon a long time ago... Heh, you really have the nerve, you had this plan all along, didn't you?"

"........."

Kevin remained silent.

"We don't want to make things difficult for you because you're his friend... Besides, you're much stronger than us, and we can't beat you."

The soldiers' gazes lingered on Kevin's chest for a moment before they spoke slowly.

There was a sword-shaped brooch there, placed alongside the medal given to Kevin by the "Fire Moth"... It was left to Kevin by Dawn.

"But if you still want to stop us... we are not afraid."

"Since we've already been declared dead by 'The Moth Chasing the Flame,' and we wouldn't have been able to return without his 'Song'... it's no big deal to sacrifice ourselves."

"However, it is something we must do to deal with those stupid (swearing) retaliations, and in the end... we will bring him back."

"So, Kevin, move aside."

"……no."

Kevin closed his eyes, remained silent for a moment, and then reopened his calm and determined eyes, gently shook his head, and slowly spoke.

"You should be going to the battlefield, fighting on the front lines, not... here."

“He has already paid the price for this, he has made a sacrifice for this, and I... cannot let his efforts be in vain.”

“He wants to help you, wants you to fight for humanity again, so I will not kill you, but... I will not allow you to turn your hostility and blades against humanity, which is something he does not want to see.”

“It’s all about humanity.”

Kevin spoke softly, as if telling himself.

"Everything... is for humanity."

He repeated it again, as if reaffirming his conviction.

But... the more he pondered the words, the more he rejected them... for no particular reason, just a simple... aversion.

But he cannot stop, nor can he waver.

…………

"Kosmo... Kosmo! Calm down! Don't let your emotions consume you!"

“Scar, Dobia, I don’t understand… I don’t understand! Why did the ‘Fire-Chasing Moth’ become like this?! Why did the ‘Fire-Chasing Moth’ do this?!”

Kosmo, who had been completely transformed into a "monster" due to the "man-made collapse," roared in a hoarse voice.

"Did he do anything wrong?! Did he hurt anyone?! Why was he banished based on some unfounded suspicions?! And on the moon! That deserted place! That place of only darkness and cold?!"

"Shouldn't he be a hero? He saved so many people! He was a huge help to the Eighth Herrscher, he dealt with the Ninth Herrscher, and even us! He even resolved the side effects on us!!! At least he made us look less inhuman... Doesn't he deserve to be called a hero? Doesn't he deserve praise? Doesn't he deserve respect and love?!"

"Then why? Why?! On what grounds?! 'The Moth Chasing the Flame' wants to exile him?! And those people, he clearly helped them, even saved their families, why do they suspect him for such a few inexplicable reasons?! What reason does 'The Moth Chasing the Flame' have to question him?!"

"Weren't the 'Fire-Chasing Moth' fighting for humanity? Didn't they exist to fight against the Honkai? Then why... why are they treating them like this?! How could the 'Fire-Chasing Moth' have become like this?!"

Kosmo's appearance became increasingly ferocious, and his voice became increasingly muffled and violent.

"Kosmo..."