Seawater poured into his ears, blooming into a rhythmic pulsing in his brain. He felt his soul and life gradually dissipate in the bottomless ocean.
In the vast sea that made one lose themselves, not even a speck of light could be seen.
Death came more peacefully than expected. The chirping, raucous, brain-bursting noises were gone.
However, a nose that had lost its sense of smell and a tongue that had lost its taste could still detect a faint, metallic saltiness.
Right, this is…
He remembered, but it was far too late. His consciousness was blurred; he could only let his helpless body drift in this blood-scented ocean.
In a place far away, yet seemingly very close, someone turned around in the sea of blood and opened their closed eyes.
Dazzling rainbow-colored pupils opened peacefully within that endless red sea.
...
Lin opened his eyes on the sofa. In the darkness, he heard some faint rustling that vanished after a moment.
"…Not sleeping?"
A weak voice came from behind the closed bedroom door. "Had a nightmare."
"..."
What a coincidence. He'd had a nightmare too. He clearly remembered every detail: the moment those emotionless, inhuman eyes fixed on him, his blood froze. It felt as if they would appear before him in the next second.
"I can't remember my dream clearly." Delta lay weakly on her bed, one leg dangling over the edge, her lips moving numbly. "I have a vague impression, though. I was running on a beach, chasing something."
"Oh… I remember now. It was something from when I was little…"
"..."
The conversation stalled there.
"Lieutenant Lin, what were you like as a kid?"
"I didn't have a childhood."
Lin lay on his side on the sofa, gazing at the star-filled sky outside the window.
Every star seemed to be blinking at humanity, but that was just the Earth's lie—a natural phenomenon of atmospheric effects, not their intent.
" I was very naughty as a kid. I often fought with the neighborhood kids. Everyone around called me the 'Boss of the Kids.' I'd even bully my sister." Delta pink hair fell over her cheeks, hiding her eyes. "Why did Mom and Dad have to give their love to my sister? Why was I, the one who came into the world first, required to take care of the nun who took half of what was mine?"
"Later, after Mom and Dad left, I realized why Dad would scold me so harshly for bullying her, and why Mom would hold my wailing sister and look at me reproachfully."
"It turns out growing up is quite simple. You just have to look down at your family."
Lin listened to her. He wondered who she was saying this for; perhaps it was just a monologue for herself.
"So, the day I lost my sister, it felt like half of my body had been scooped out. What filled the void was the identity of a Fusion Warrior."
"Lieutenant Lin, do you think… can we Fusion Warriors look down at humanity? Can we be humanity's 'Heroes'?"
The wind howled against the window. Drifting dark clouds covered the bright moon.
Lin pulled his knees to his chest, looking down at the ravings written on the paper.
"You will." Lin voice was soft and gentle. He saw the three different shadows he cast. "You will become humanity's Heroes."
"Haha… I think I understand a bit why Sakura speaks of you that way." Delta couldn't help but let out a silvery laugh. "What about you? What kind of person will you become?"
"I can't become anyone."
"..."
Hearing the flat, water-like answer, Delta became thoughtful.
In the room no longer watched by stars, there wasn't a sound.
Click.
The door pushed open. Delta walked out of the bedroom in her pajamas. She stood before Lin, her delicate face rising and falling with her breath in the dark. She looked down at Lin, who was curled up on the sofa.
He didn't lift his head, seemingly staring blankly at some distant "elsewhere."
"Lieutenant Lin, you lost to me. So you have to promise me one thing."
"..."
The girl gave him a brilliant smile. "You must become humanity's Hero."
Lin raised his emotionless eyes to meet hers. He saw the determination in her gaze, like the blinking of bright stars.
"No matter how many cycles it takes, you must never give up—until the day you become the Hero."
His Adam's apple moved. "Why me?"
"Why indeed…" A momentary look of confusion appeared in her eyes, but it vanished quickly. "Maybe as a kid, I thought if my sister had me as a big sister, then I should have a big brother."
"..."
"He should be reliable, mature, and steady. Someone who never gives up easily, someone who always appears before me like a hero."
For some reason, Lin wanted to look away.
"Someone who corrects my mistakes when I'm wrong, praises me when I succeed. And when Dad wants to scold me, he'd stand up and say I'm his sister too, and as a big brother, he'll protect both of his little sisters."
"Does it sound nonsensical? Even though I wasn't a good sister, I still wanted a good brother."
After a long silence, Lin shook his head. "No."
Hearing that, Delta smiled happily. "But you're not my brother. My ideal brother is much more perfect than you."
A man leaned against a wall, looking at a photo in a locket. It was a picture of a blue-haired woman and a young girl.
They were in the sunlight. The woman held the girl on her lap. Light streamed through the clouds, wetting her hair and cheek. The girl looked at the camera with innocent curiosity.
His finger gently traced the smile in the photo, his gaze soft as the sunlight illuminating the two.
Beep—
He put the locket away and picked up the comms.
"..."
The man walked to the window, looking at the stars. Somewhere far away, someone was surely looking up at the same night sky.
"I'm fine. Aside from the Honkai at Svatok-51, life is more comfortable than a vacation." A smile touched the corners of his mouth, his face filled with happiness. "Sometimes I feel like my body is getting rusty. I want them to send me on other missions."
"..."
"Haha, I'm joking…"
"..."
The communicator mentioned something else. The smile slowly vanished from the man's face, replaced by a look of contemplation.
"Don't worry, there won't be any problems. Didn't Dr. Mobius say Griseo can already control her power quite well?"
"..."
"Sometimes the world truly moves in mysterious ways. After the surgery, Lin could no longer see the world's colors. But after her surgery, Griseo can feel them even more acutely. I often wonder… if Lin were the one to take Griseo to see the world, what kind of scenery would they present?"
"No…" The man shook his head and smiled abruptly. "That day will surely come."