"Target hit." The person who pulled the trigger reported into the communicator, looking coldly at the figure falling from the explosion's flames.
"MSA-079 confirmed dead?"
"Target's death not yet confirmed."
"Must immediately confirm MSA-079's vital signs. According to several eyewitness reports, he is suspected of possessing rapid self-healing capabilities."
"Copy that."
The missile's crosshairs locked onto the figure trailing black smoke.
If Lin had deduced the location of Fire Moth's dark side from various clues and continued to resist even after being blacklisted, what would Fire Moth do?
A trap... Only now did he realize the fundamental reason he had been able to track his way here.
Erwin couldn't hear any sound. In the recent explosion, flames had consumed his skin and hair. Half his body was blown into a bloody mess, and he seemed to have lost his hearing.
He was falling from the high heavens toward the sea.
The black smoke rising from his body occupied everything he could see.
Even the sensation of pain had vanished. The high temperature had cauterized the wounds and stumps with charred flesh; he felt only a searing heat in his chest that couldn't leave his body.
So, this was how it was...
In Erwin's dilated pupils, the weapon—a creation that seemed to judge all living beings—was reflected, pointing its deadly void at him.
It was just like many years ago, when he looked up from the frozen ground at a god who took his comrades' lives on a whim.
Humanity had defeated gods, yet they were now pointing the weapons used to defeat gods at their own kin.
He smelled the scent of his own charred flesh and the taste of blood welling up from his throat and nostrils.
Was he going to die?
Last time, during the eruption of the Eighth Honkai, Erwin had been a step away from death, but he hadn't felt much then. This time, everything before his eyes seemed much slower. Death was approaching bit by bit, taking the soul from his body with such clarity.
Erwin really wanted to cry.
Not a single tear could be squeezed from his parched, blackened eyelids. He opened his mouth, his lips burned away.
Why do humans have to do this to their own kind...
Standing in the meeting room, gathered with his teammates.
Hiding awkwardly in a corner of the banquet, seeing people's tired yet hopeful smiles after the Honkai ended.
Living his not-so-great but not-so-bad life, thinking about what to eat for dinner, and chatting about gossip with friends over the communicator.
It really was... such an ordinary life.
He had always worriedly wondered what would happen if he died on the battlefield one day. Those Honkai Beasts and zombies would definitely tear him to pieces; it would be a very painful death.
But he didn't die in the Honkai.
And he didn't know when he had stopped fearing death on the battlefield.
Was this... luck?
"Don't do this anymore..." A pained expression squeezed onto Erwin's skinless face. He opened his remaining arm and spoke softly to the kin looking down at him: "Please..."
There was no answer—or rather, the answer was only the sound of a missile being launched nonchalantly.
Thump!
The light was like an embrace, swallowing his entire body. His pupils dilated slowly.
He felt fortunate, yet a bit sad.
Fortunately, it wasn't Adjutant Lin who came.
It's just... that girl Nuwa... will she be sad...
"Report. After confirmation, the identity of this person is not MSA-079."
"...Another idiot trying to investigate? Or a traitor?"
"Identity verified. He is a Private from the Thirteenth Squad..."
"A Private? Guess his luck just ran out."
The sneering voice vanished, and the communication ended insignificantly.
Lin stopped in his tracks, clutching his chest. He suddenly felt an indescribable panic in his heart, even finding it hard to breathe.
What's happening... is it an attack...
He stood in place, leaning against a wall and resting for a long time before straightening his body. The eyes of his helmet regained their calm.
Hold on a little longer. At least until this incident is over.
On the display inside his helmet, the decryption of the chip was in progress. This time, Gray Serpent had unusually encrypted the chip, rather than telling him all the intelligence directly as he had done before.
This strange behavior naturally made Lin suspicious, but he had no other choice.
The decryption had already taken him more than a day. Now, only the final part remained. He stared intently as the progress bar moved to the end.
"The next location is..."
As soon as the coordinates appeared in his eyes, Lin spun around and charged in a certain direction.
"What... is this notice... you've got to be kidding me..."
Einstein stared at the dense text on her communicator. Shock, confusion, disgust, and anger all appeared on her face at once. The hand holding the communicator trembled, and emotions she had never felt before were brewing in her heart.
However, before she could react to the notice from Fire Moth, another communication entered her device.
"A message from Erwin?" Einstein suppressed her indignation. She looked at this new message calmly. "Did he want to talk to me after receiving the notice?"
She opened the message Erwin had sent.
Then, time froze.
[Dr. Einstein, if you have received this message, then something has likely happened to me. I'm sorry for not discussing this with you beforehand, but... I really don't know who to trust anymore.]
[I've left all the clues in the room where we talked. I can't figure out who to trust or who to help, so I can only choose to help myself. Only when I'm unable to return will this message be sent to you. I hope the final dance of my mediocre life is the right one.]
[I have a lot to say, but the funny thing is, I don't know if I can come back safely. If I end up luckily avoiding any trouble, wouldn't it be embarrassing? Besides, I'm just a Private; even if I want to say something, it's nothing major.]
[I'm very worried and scared, but... I still can't ignore it. Maybe I'm just that kind of fool.]
[If you can still meet Adjutant Lin, please tell him I've only left temporarily. Although I used to think someone as cold as Adjutant Lin would never notice a small fry like me, after spending so much time together, I've become familiar with his character. I know that even for me, he would feel sadness.]
[I used to think I saw Adjutant Lin as an idol, but as expected... I still wanted to be his friend.]