"Boom!"
There was a loud explosion, and thick smoke filled the air. The timing and angle of the blast were perfect.
The magician, feeling proud of her work, watched. In today's chaotic world, not many people make an entrance like her.
Her special goggles let her see clearly through the smoke, giving her an advantage over her enemies, who were blinded by it.
She had carefully chosen this place. Lately strange things were happening in the city.
After gathering all the information it all pointed to one group.
"The Fire Chasing Moth."
To regular people, the Honkai events were just crazy talk. But for someone as skilled as her, it was easy to uncover the truth.
She had found twisted, pale bodies, deformed limbs, and strange creatures. These sights opened a whole new world for her.
But something was wrong.
She found over ten secret underground bases in Skydrift City where these experiments were affecting people.
Clearly, the organization behind it all was this "Fire Chasing Moth."
So, she began her mission—destroying their hideouts and looking for more clues. One day, she would find their headquarters and wipe them out!
"?"
The magician noticed something odd. It was too quiet. Normally, guards or thugs would have responded by now, chasing after the noise or firing their guns.
But there was nothing. No reaction to the dummy she had set up to cause a distraction. As someone who prided herself on creating the perfect "stage effects," she felt dissatisfied.
"Did someone get here before me?"
As the smoke cleared, the sight of "zombie"-like thugs on the ground shocked the magician, who was hiding in a secret passage.
After a moment of silence, a small black robot rolled out from a corner. It had four wheels and sleek, striped tires. The robot looked high-tech and had a small speaker attached to it.
"Ahem, greetings! I wonder who's responsible for all this? Have they already taken action before me?"
"Our goals must be the same if you've made it this far. I was planning to take down that evil organization myself. If you want to join forces, show yourself."
The voice from the robot sounded confident, clearly trusting their own information.
A tall figure with white hair emerged from the shadows, causing the robot to roll back a bit.
"If you're willing to work together, why not come out now?"
The man who stepped forward was Orion Astra. He had his hands in his pockets and wore low-key sportswear, looking like an average college student.
The robot wobbled nervously, much like the magician's heart at that moment.
"Wow, he really came out."
The magician, watching through the robot's camera, studied Orion's clean appearance. There wasn't a scratch on him, despite the fierce fight he must've had.
He wasn't carrying any weapons, so how had he taken down all those thugs? Was he some kind of martial arts expert?
"But he doesn't seem like a threat," the magician thought. The breathing of the thugs on the ground seemed normal, with no signs of trickery.
After a moment of hesitation, the magician decided to meet him in person.
From Orion's point of view, the floor in the center of the stage shook slightly, then burst open.
A hand reached up from the ground.
With a snap, the dance floor lit up with colorful lights, shining on the center stage.
A girl wearing a mechanical punk outfit appeared. She had a hat with gears, metal shorts, belts, and clocks. She looked like she had just popped out of a steam punk film.
"Welcome! If I can find partners like you, I'll definitely shine brighter on stage!"
The magician enthusiastically reached out to shake Orion's hand.
Orion smiled slightly and, without fear of any tricks, shook her hand.
Their eyes met. Curiosity, suspicion, and a thirst for knowledge filled the magician's gaze. Her gray eyes flashed with purple, and Orion could feel a slight tension in her grip.
"By the way, I didn't catch your name," Orion said, breaking the silence.
The magician gently removed her hat and made an elegant gesture.
"Ah, my apologies. You can call me 'The Magician.' But if you want to know my real name, let's hear yours first."
"Orion Astra," he replied, unafraid.
"Orion Astra..." The magician repeated softly, as if trying to recall if she had heard the name before.
"You're here to destroy this place because of this, right?"
Orion held out his other hand, revealing a needle filled with a glowing purple liquid, sparkling like stars.
"!"
The magician tensed up the moment she saw it.
That liquid was concentrated Honkai energy. If injected into a person, it would quickly cause them to lose control, turning them into a zombie.
Seeing Orion holding it, the magician's eyes showed a newfound trust in him.
"Exactly," she said with disgust. "I've been investigating this stuff since last month."
She moved to a nearby sofa, and Orion followed, sitting across from her.
The magician poured two glasses of wine and continued talking.
"You seem to already know how dangerous this is."
"Yes," Orion nodded. "I found out that the group behind all this is the Fire Chasing Moth."
The magician spoke seriously, but Orion couldn't help but suppress a smile.
"After weeks of investigation, I've found one of their bases. I'm confident I can handle it on my own, but with your help, the chances of success would be much higher."
"So, are you in?"