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

"Forget it, let the Firemoth handle it. I'm sure they'll be very interested in you as an [anomaly]... Mebius should like you a lot, so at least this will distract her and keep her from bothering me."

Xi Wang shook his head. Perhaps because of the similar [traits], he temporarily put aside the idea of ​​killing the man. It seemed like a better choice to hand him over to Mebius. Moreover, Xi Wang believed that the Fire Moth would also care a lot, after all, the combat power and traits that this guy had shown were too abnormal.

...I just hope that the people of the Poisonous Chrysalis won't judge him as having failed in his mission simply because this special man is still alive.

With a slight lift of my hand, raindrops pattered into my palm, bringing a cool sensation. The raindrops gradually gathered, but quickly slipped through my fingers, dripping onto the ground and mingling with the puddles.

"The rain has lessened..."

The torrential rain has gradually turned into a light drizzle, but it hasn't stopped. In Xiwang's perception, this rain will probably continue until dawn.

"Let's go back... huh?"

Just as Xi Wang was about to leave with this special man, a blurry figure appeared in the distance. With the help of the few remaining streetlights, Xi Wang could see that it was a tall woman holding an umbrella. Judging from her attire, she seemed to be a nun.

Why is there anyone else?

Xi Wang was somewhat troubled. Based on his memory, he was certain that he had eliminated everyone in Twilight Street. The person in question was... someone who had returned from outside?

It doesn't matter, it's just a little troublesome. I can just go to the cemetery and dig another hole.

However, just as Xi Wang was about to walk towards the nun, the man he had bound also saw the nun.

“■■■■!!!■■■■…”

The man's reaction was intense, even more so than when he was with Xi Wang, clearly indicating that the two knew each other.

"……interesting."

Xi Wang raised an eyebrow and changed her mind at that moment... mainly because the man's reaction was too strong, making Xi Wang think that the nun was also a "special" being like him.

So, Xi Wang stepped forward and, before the nun could speak, waved his hand, manipulating the flowing water to form a long whip, which directly knocked her unconscious. To prevent the nun from having the same troublesome constitution as the man, Xi Wang added a few more whips to ensure that she lost consciousness, and then summoned a water ball to wrap around and bind her body.

"Is this finally over?"

Xi Wang squinted and muttered to himself as he took out a candy box and fed himself a piece of candy.

"...This is Wang."

Then, Xi Wang led the two to the designated departure point and activated the communication.

"The 'Clearing the Sky' mission is complete. Also... I found two 'anomalies,' which I think you'll find quite interesting."

"Yes, I suspect it's related to the [Honkai]... Yeah, that's right."

"Okay, I have arrived at the designated location."

"...Okay, I understand, but I'd be even happier if I had a vacation later."

"grateful."

Chapter Thirty Kevin's Birthday Party

The mission to clear the skies of Twilight Street has now come to an end. The strange man and the nun are no longer your concern after the Firemoth took over their duties. Instead of worrying about them, think about how to deal with Alicia's "whimsical ideas."

[...How should I put it? Ever since Alicia recorded your words to Sakura and then played them on repeat around the Firemoth base with a megaphone, Alicia has been coming up with more and more "good ideas" targeting you and Sakura, which has caused you and Sakura some distress and helplessness.]

Fortunately, Alicia is Alicia after all; she maintains a comfortable balance in your interactions. Her quirky "ideas" don't make you feel troubled or embarrassed; at most, they just make you feel a little... awkward.

[Möbius hasn't been contacting you much lately, which is a relief. Danju, on the other hand, has been coming to see you more often. But she's alright; you only need to play with her for a little while, and maybe take a few pictures of her before she leaves... though most of the time Möbius drags her back.]

Meanwhile, on Velvet's side, she completed her first "Divine Key," a special weapon constructed with the "Fifth Herrscher Core"—Hypnosis of All Things. However, after Moth of Flame witnessed its power, she forcibly sealed the weapon, believing that "Hypnosis of All Things" was too powerful and would not be used until a suitable candidate was found. Consequently, the "Divine Key" project was also halted.

Correspondingly, the Firemoth has increased its investment in the "Fusion Warrior Project," and many people have been scheduled for surgery... Perhaps this is why Mebius hasn't been visiting you much lately.

Even though the Flame Chaser organization increased its investment in the "Fusion Warrior Project," the failure rate of the surgeries remained high, and in the end, only four people became new "Fusion Warriors."

[You recognize three of them: Hen, Kosmo, and Desdobia. This gives you some relief; at least the people you know are alive.]

[As for the last one, you know her—Aponia, the nun you brought back from "Twilight Street." You suspect that the higher-ups put her on the operating table to silence her and to use her, given the high failure rate of fusion warrior surgeries. However, they didn't expect Aponia to survive.]

At this point, the Firemoth temporarily slowed down the "Fusion Warrior Project." It wasn't that they had enough fusion warriors, but rather that the failure rate of the surgeries was simply too outrageous. Too many people became "failures" due to failed surgeries, ultimately having to be transported to the "Deepest Place" for imprisonment or even executed. Therefore, it was necessary to reduce this useless loss.

Perhaps it's because there are too few Fusion Warriors, or perhaps the side effects of the surgery on you are too obvious, but many people have begun to regard you as "outcasts"... Even if they know you are heroes fighting for humanity, the way they look at you still carries a different meaning to some extent.

The people inside the Firemoth are alright; the soldiers trust you. But the civilians who don't know the reason aren't so friendly. Many people see you as "monsters," and as fusion warriors, you've all developed some psychological issues—especially Sakura.

[During a Honkai event, she saved ninety-six people. She remembered it clearly. She had been working tirelessly for several days to deal with the Honkai, and her physical and mental strength was already low. After exhausting herself and dealing with all the Honkai Beasts, she used her last bit of strength to save ninety-six people, including children, from a collapsing building. Finally, because she was too exhausted to go downstairs, she was pulled down by the collapsing building and fell to the ground from a height of four stories. At that time, she didn't even have the strength to stand up and could only lie on the ground to rest.]

She also recalled that several children came up to look at her curiously, and just as she was about to smile and reassure them that "everything is alright," those children were forcibly dragged away by others.

She sat up in confusion, looking around. She was the only one bathed in the pale golden sunlight of the setting sun, while the people she had just saved huddled in the shadows of the ruins, staring at her with terrified eyes, as if facing a Honkai beast, clutching their children tightly to their chests, seemingly worried that she would harm them.

She stood up, intending to tell them the location of the nearby shelter, but with each step she took closer, the survivors' eyes changed, from initial suspicion to disgust, then hatred, and finally hostility.

She couldn't understand it at the time; she had just saved them, yet they were now showing such blatant hostility towards her.

Finally, she found out, it was because of her "ears".

The survivors' gazes focused on the pair of long, thin ears on the top of her head. A child asked his mother curiously, but the mother quickly covered the child's mouth and told him, "She's a monster..." Although they were far away and the voices were very soft, she still heard it.

Sakura stood there, stunned, feeling utterly exhausted for the first time. Her legs felt so heavy she could barely move, and even breathing seemed difficult.

At that point, she was caught between a rock and a hard place, and in the end, she could only contact the Firemoth to have other units take over the survivors.

After that, Sakura developed a habit of barely daring to move her "ears" in front of others, not even allowing them to tremble slightly, as if hoping that others would treat them as some kind of unusual ornament. Unfortunately, this measure was of no use; the unsuspecting people still regarded her as a "monster," and her efforts were in vain.

Sakura can only feel a little more relaxed in front of you and Rin now, at least you and Rin really like her "ears".

[Especially you, you really like her furry "ears," and Sakura knows this too. When the two of you are alone, she will always take the initiative to ask you if you want to touch her "ears," and you will naturally agree. Sakura will also take the opportunity to sit in your lap, showing you a little bit of "weakness" in a slightly appropriate way.]

Sometimes, under your "stroking," she will unknowingly fall asleep in your arms, her slender ears unconsciously resting on your neck, occasionally trembling gently, the furry touch rubbing against the back of your neck, expressing her intimacy.

It seemed that only in this way could she alleviate some of the pressure she felt.

You once wanted to give Sakura a hoodie with a bunny ear hood so it would cover her ears. Sakura happily accepted it, but she never wore it.

Compared to concealment, the enhanced hearing provided by her "ears" is far more important. This allows her to more acutely detect the movements of Honkai Beasts and more easily hear the cries for help from survivors... Although being called a "monster" time and time again puts immense psychological pressure on Sakura, she still remembers why she became a "fusion warrior."

Besides, she has also found ways to relieve psychological stress...

As for the other fusion warriors, they naturally had similar experiences to Sakura to varying degrees. Some people didn't care what others said, such as Hen, while others buried this pressure deep in their hearts, such as Kevin and Kosmo.

Of course, some people don't care at all, like you.

[You really don't care about this? The opinions of the public are not as important as a single word from Alicia or Sakura... not even as important as Rin and Gretchen. Why bother caring about that?]

As for Alicia, she is a complete "outcast"... Perhaps it's because she's too cute, or perhaps it's because of her lively personality. In any case, she's at least not seen as a "monster" by the public. Although there's still some rejection, Alicia's situation is much better than others.

Perhaps because of similar experiences, or perhaps because of your shared identity as "fusion warriors," the nine of you gradually became acquainted and formed a "small circle" that belonged only to you.

Today, your "little circle" has something very "important" to do.

----------

“…Alice, I don’t think this is necessary.”

Kevin looked very troubled, but the pink-haired girl behind him didn't give him a chance to resist; she just pushed him forward.

"Hey, don't refuse! Don't speak! Keep moving forward!"

Alicia said angrily, and then pushed Kevin again, but the extreme cold emanating from Kevin made her shiver involuntarily.

"It's so cold!"

“…Alice, we have many more important things to do.”

"Huh? Doesn't the party I threw matter?"

"........."

Kevin rubbed his temples in annoyance... Although Alicia's actions were often harmless, they were sometimes really frustrating, and he didn't know how Nozomi could tolerate Alicia.

“New threats could emerge at any time, and we have no idea in what form the next Herrscher will be born…”

Not knowing how to refute Alicia, Kevin could only resort to using official business to persuade her.

"Alright, alright! Seriously, it's only been a short time since the Seventh Great Collapse, can't you give yourself a day off? Don't push yourself so hard~"

Alicia seemed quite helpless as well.

"Sigh... Kevin, you're really starting to resemble May more and more... Hmm, do you secretly feel pleased to hear that?"

"But……"

"You talk too much, Kevin."

A calm, slightly disdainful voice rang out, and at the same time, Kevin and Alicia noticed a slight increase in humidity in the air.

Before Kevin could even turn his head to look in the direction of the sound, he felt a slightly damp sensation on his forehead.

Looking up, one can see the azure water forming tentacles, gently patting Kevin's forehead... Clearly, Xi Wang has started using her "water-like yet not water" thing to touch Kevin again. This is one of the few things that can directly touch Kevin, after all, Xi Wang can give "water" the "property" of being difficult to freeze.

"I hope you've arrived too early~ Arriving early will disrupt the rhythm..."

Alicia complained coquettishly.

“He’s too long-winded, I’ll urge him on.”

Xi Wang responded calmly, manipulating the azure water flow, and suddenly shoved Kevin from behind, causing Kevin to stumble and stand in front of the half-open door.

"........."

Why do I feel like the two of you are teaming up to trick me?

Kevin looked at the half-open door and the dimly lit, unlit room with a sense of helplessness.

"Ugh……"

In the end, Kevin had no choice but to comply with their wishes and push open the door in front of him.

then……

bang——

Happy birthday, Kevin!

Several firecrackers were set off, accompanied by everyone's blessings, and the room was instantly filled with light.

The sudden "surprise" made this "hero" who had never retreated on any battlefield take a half step back. Just as his foot stretched backward and his body was about to step back, a slightly damp feeling reappeared on his back, forcibly stopping him.

"Refund what? Don't tell me you're scared."

Xi Wang's calm tone came again, still carrying a hint of disdain and a touch of helpless "reminder".

"Also, you're about to hit someone."