Honkai: Fire Moth Herrschers-Chapter 287: "I" Died Long Ago

Sakura returned to HQ and met Michael the next day, precisely thirteen minutes and fifty-one seconds past noon.

"I just saw Immer."

A faint, cherry blossom pink blush spread across her makeup-free cheeks, a shade slightly deeper than her sakura-colored hair.

"Where's Rin... Ah, she should be napping now, right? Better not disturb her. I need to ask the cafeteria for some sushi rice..."

Sakura leaned on her sword hilt, pacing excitedly, flustered—a rare sight indeed.

But Michael... with just one sentence, delivered in the most direct, unvarnished way, easily shattered all her illusions:

"Sakura, she hasn't returned to the real world yet."

"Ah—"

Sakura's lips parted briefly, letting out a short syllable, before quickly pressing into a thin line.

Though indoors, a chill wind seemed to rise from nowhere, stirring the strands of hair on her forehead. Even her long, slender fox ears drooped midway, like foxtail grass bending in the breeze.

"Did... something happen to her?"

Sakura's voice didn't tremble, but carried a distinct chill.

This chill likely wasn't directed at anyone, merely a sign of her emotions teetering on the edge of control, her grip on her MANTIS factors momentarily loosening, filling the room with frosty air currents.

Thankfully, besides Michael, there was no one else in the room.

"Calm down, Sakura. Nothing happened to Rin."

"Phew..."

The chill vanished without a trace. After a sigh of profound relief, Sakura pressed her right hand firmly against her heart.

In an incredibly short span, she had leaped from earth to heaven, then plummeted swiftly from heaven towards hell, only to be snatched back up to heaven by Michael before her toes even touched the infernal ground.

"Nothing at all?" Sakura quickly asked again.

"Physically and psychologically... hmm, perhaps there are some minor issues. Staying in that environment for so long has had some effect, but it hasn't reached the point of 'irreversible damage'."

"Hah... That's good, that's good, that's good..."

Sakura let out another long breath, repeating the short phrase three times.

It wasn't that she didn't trust Michael, but if there was truly "nothing at all," then why hadn't Rin returned with Immer?

She had always known Michael was hiding many things about this matter from her, but she didn't care. Her training, the principles instilled in her, never demanded the "right to know."

Her only concern was whether Rin would be harmed.

And she trusted Michael wouldn't harm Rin; moreover, she vaguely understood that his actions were precisely to prevent Rin from being harmed. That was enough.

So, Rin not returning to the real world with Immer was perhaps due to those "minor issues" Michael mentioned, right?

At least, that's what she thought at that moment, though Michael would overturn it in the next.

"However, Rin not returning to the real world has nothing to do with those 'minor issues'."

"Hm?"

Sakura detected a hint of hesitation in Michael's constantly shifting words.

Subsequently, an ominous premonition spread through her heart.

"Sakura, if you feel you can accept it—no, whether you can accept it or not, at this point, I have to tell you the truth."

"Mmm..."

Sakura closed her eyes, like a soldier bracing for impact as a transport plane, shot down mid-air, began its emergency descent.

"The reason I took Immer, Klein, and Rin to the Bubble Universe is because all three are potential Herrscher hosts. Only there, detached from the Sea of Quanta which connects to the Imaginary, could they escape the fate of being chosen by the Honkai."

As Michael spoke, Sakura fully grasped his meaning.

"Meaning, Immer and Klein could return because the Tenth and Eleventh Honkai Eruptions are over. And Rin can't return yet because the Twelfth Honkai Eruption hasn't begun, right?"

"Sharp comprehension." Michael praised her with a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes.

Most people might need a long time to process the impact of that statement. They often wouldn't immediately grasp what Michael was conveying, but would first think—

"Huh? How would you know who the potential Herrscher hosts are?"

Then they'd make a judgment:

"Is that really true?"

But Sakura skipped both these steps entirely. Michael saw it clearly. Even Mei couldn't do that; she indeed went through both processes, but her reaction was extraordinarily swift, making the judgment almost the instant the thought surfaced.

Sakura was different. From beginning to end, she had no extraneous thoughts. She simply accepted the information Michael gave her and quickly identified what he wanted her to understand. That was all.

If Fire Moth ever held a language arts test, Sakura would probably excel at reading comprehension, Michael thought inexplicably.

"The information you gave was quite straightforward," Sakura retorted with a faint smile.

In her view, the matter was resolved up to this point. All that remained was to wait for the Twelfth Honkai Eruption to end, and then Rin could return to the real world, right?

But today seemed destined for an unusual number of twists. Or perhaps, not saying everything at once was Michael's way of giving Sakura a chance to "slowly digest the information."

This step-by-step approach was surely better than dumping everything on her at the start and then explaining it piece by piece, right?

"Things aren't quite that simple..."

Michael shook his head with a wry smile, and the ominous feeling in Sakura's heart, which hadn't yet dispersed, rekindled like dying embers.

"Let's go."

"Hm?"

Sakura looked uncertainly at the hand Michael extended towards her.

Although I really want to take it... isn't this a bit sudden... There are still so many unanswered questions...

New n𝙤vel chapters are published on novelbuddy.cσ๓.

Wait, go where?

Seeing her hesitation and confusion, Michael tried his best to offer a natural smile and explained:

"To the Bubble Universe. There are some things I need to tell not only you, but Rin as well. Then, the choice must be made by you two sisters together."

"The Bubble Universe... But the Sea of Quanta seems incompatible with my body. Last time I..."

"It's fine. This time we'll enter the Bubble Universe directly. You might still feel some dizziness and nausea, but you'll adapt slowly."

Sakura swallowed, took a deep breath and held it, then took Michael's hand.

This is the first time since R'lyeh, isn't it?

The thought suddenly popped into her head.

No! Why is my mind filled with thoughts like this right now?

If she had to take that reading comprehension test now, she probably wouldn't perform with the same sharpness as before.

Unconsciously, her heart was already in turmoil. But what exactly had thrown her thoughts into disarray? Was it the lingering ominous feeling? Was it Michael's constantly shifting, yet direct and sincere, words? Or something else? Or a mixture of everything?

"Relax."

Michael's palm was warm and dry, without a trace of dampness from sweat. Sakura's was the exact opposite.

He squeezed Sakura's hand slightly, then... offered one final reminder:

"Sakura, regardless of the choice you face next, or the choice you have to make, before that, I want you to remember one thing."

Rather than direct eye contact, Michael preferred looking at people's noses when talking. It lessened the feeling of pressure or offense, without making him seem absent-minded.

At least, in Sakura's memory, aside from that assassination attempt earlier, Michael staring directly into her eyes like this was unprecedented.

And precisely because of this, it underscored just how serious the matter they were about to face was.

Her heart began to race, the pounding traveling through her pulse to her limbs. She could feel her fingertips throbbing in time with her heart; Michael could naturally feel it too.

"Relax, Sakura," Michael repeated, but his grip on Sakura's hand didn't loosen; instead, he squeezed it more firmly. "Sakura, you must remember, having walked this path together until now—whether it's you and me, Elysia, Mei and Kevin, Su, Mobius, Hua, Pardofelis, Kalpas, Vill-V, Aponia, Kosma and Dystopia, Captain Himeko, Uncle Ato's family, Eden... we've long transcended the concept of comrades-in-arms. We've supported each other to get here. Calling ourselves 'family' wouldn't be an exaggeration at all. So..."

"Rin is your sister, and she's our sister too. The decision ahead might be cruel, but you must remember—be a little selfish!"

"That's right. Mei might tell you many grand principles about saving the world, and precisely because of that, I need to remind you, even though I know this might make the choice even harder for you. But since Rin is everyone's sister, your hesitation actually represents all of our hesitation. Which choice do our emotions lean towards? If this were something we could vote on democratically, what choice would we make? You should understand."

He felt Sakura's pulse quicken until it was almost a solid line. She, in turn, gripped Michael's hand tightly, her strength almost enough to twist his fingers out of shape.

Michael had guessed wrong. Sakura's comprehension hadn't faltered despite her turbulent emotions. Even though he had spoken more cryptically this time, hindered even by his own uncertainty, resulting in many confusing parts in his explanation...

...the meaning he intended to convey still got through, received entirely by Sakura.

For some reason, a sense of relief also washed over his own heart.

Perhaps no one truly wants to be the one to make the final decision.

He didn't want to, and Mei didn't either.

Although from a humanitarian standpoint, they didn't have the right anyway. Letting Sakura and Rin choose for themselves was the humane thing to do.

But in a sense, this was also a transfer of responsibility.

The weight that had previously rested on his and Mei's shoulders was now shifted onto Sakura's.

More accurately, it rested on Sakura, and on Rin, who was perhaps still completely unaware.

Compared to the original history, these two sisters at least had the chance to choose.

Yet often, making a choice is far more difficult than passively accepting an outcome.

Because a choice made by oneself means taking responsibility for the potential consequences, whereas a mere outcome stems from the actions—and responsibilities—of others.

Thus, the matter became impossible to categorize even in simple terms of good or bad.

Or rather, good and bad have never been things easily captured.

Heh, true enough. What is good, what is bad—like space, like time, like everything in this world—has always been defined by humanity.

"Close your eyes, relax." Michael reminded her one last time.

Sakura banished all stray thoughts and did as he said.

She quickly felt an unprecedented dizziness, the likes of which even being launched a hundred times by the Second Divine Key wouldn't induce.

After all, the typical function of the Second Divine Key merely traversed space. Now, however, they were crossing world barriers and the medium between them, reaching a place whose distance from the real world far exceeded the concept of time itself.

Fortunately, the more debilitating nausea lasted only an insignificant moment. Before she could even consciously swallow, the feeling vanished without a trace.

Finally, she felt solid ground beneath her feet. Though her legs were still weak, and the ground felt like it was spinning like a washing machine drum, there was definitely something solid to stand on.

Almost simultaneously, she felt a whistling wind and smelled the fragrance of flowers, grass, and trees.

"Alright, you can open your eyes now."

She saw a sea of white flowers, completely different from what she had imagined.

"These were just planted," Michael explained.

...

"Mmm... Eh! Haha! Big Sis, you're here!"

Rin rubbed her eyes in disbelief, then took a few quick steps and threw herself into Sakura's arms.

Actually, she had been told early this morning that Sakura would visit. But even after letting her emotions settle all morning, the moment she truly saw Sakura, she was just as happy as when she first heard the news.

"..."

Michael glanced towards Elysia, noticing she had silently disappeared when Sakura arrived. Mei leaned against the conference room doorway, the bright light reflecting off her glasses, obscuring her expression.

"Big Sis, this place is pretty big! Let me show you around the dorms first!"

Rin took Sakura's hand, about to lead her away. But when she gently pulled, her sister, who usually followed readily, remained rooted to the spot.

Her palm was cold and damp, slick with sweat. Rin had never felt so much sweat on her sister's palm before; to ensure she could grip her blade for battle at any moment, Sakura's palms were supposed to stay dry.

And right at this moment, both Michael and Mei cleared their throats simultaneously.

The smile vanished from Rin's face.

Actually, she had already suspected her sister's visit wasn't purely for pleasantries. Since last night, both "the other Dr. Mei," who almost never showed extra emotion, and "the other Elysia," who was just as enthusiastic as the one she originally knew, had coincidentally shown strange expressions towards her.

Don't misunderstand, it wasn't hostility or rejection, but...

Pity.

So, she wasn't entirely uninformed herself.

Sakura stood frozen, looking at Mei with an uncertain expression, while Mei herself lapsed into a long silence.

After what felt like a long time, yet perhaps only a few breaths, Michael's voice sounded from behind her, breaking the dry silence.

"They at least have it better than the originals."

Michael said this to himself, and also to Mei.

Their gazes met silently, then silently slid away.

"I suppose... I don't need to introduce myself again?" Mei offered an extremely strained smile. "Although by the definition of 'Mei,' she and I are different individuals, from the perspective of humanity as a whole, both she and I are individuals named Mei."

"Like a T-Rex and a chicken," Rin muttered cuttingly from the side.

Mei shrugged. "It's not quite that simple, but if you find that easier to understand, feel free."

"Shouldn't we sit down? Talking while standing is tiring."

Michael was the first to move. He walked nonchalantly to the empty table and plopped down onto a leather-backed chair already showing spots of mold.

Sakura pulled Rin to sit beside Michael. This wasn't to say she trusted Michael more than Mei; at least, in her own perception, her trust in Mei and Michael was equal, without bias...

At least, no obvious bias.

The reason she chose to sit beside Michael was because of his earlier words: "But you must remember—be a little selfish!"

Perhaps it was a good cop, bad cop routine, but she still hoped the person she relied on could be a bit warmer.

She certainly didn't deny Mei's excellence as a leader, even if this was the Mei from the Bubble Universe. But compared to cold rationality, Michael's hesitation, which he repeatedly tried to suppress yet still inadvertently revealed, possessed a certain warm human touch.

However, perhaps this was just a preconceived notion. With her observational skills, she naturally understood that just in their brief exchange of glances and words earlier, Mei had also shown hesitation no fewer than three times.

Also, Mei seemed to be trying to hint at something earlier by referencing the difference between herself and the Mei from the real world, but Sakura hadn't understood.

She still preferred Michael's direct manner of speaking:

"Your hesitation actually represents all of our hesitation. Which choice do our emotions lean towards? If this were something we could vote on democratically, what choice would we make? You should understand."

"Well then, let's begin."

Mei silently, solitarily, sat down opposite the three of them.

She tried her best to keep her expression stern.

She was also questioning herself inwardly. From an absolutely rational perspective, her memories as this individual contained almost no significant interaction with Sakura, and she didn't even know of Rin's existence. Why, then, did her heart soften? Why did she still hesitate?

Was it because of quantum entanglement with her real-world self?

But if it were her, the real Mei, she had once sent so many hopeful people onto the fatal operating table. The very first one was even the person she loved most.

Could someone like her, secretly cursed as a butcher, even considered more terrifying than Mobius—a person deemed coldly mad—still feel sadness, feel guilt deep inside?

Thinking carefully, back when she herself formulated the plan using Elysia as bait to create an opportunity for Michael to kill the Sixth Herrscher, the image of Kevin kept flashing through her mind...

Actually... perhaps rationality itself has always been a misunderstanding, a misunderstanding held by everyone, including herself?

No, it truly is a misunderstanding, but one in a different direction.

Growth isn't a process of eliminating weakness and unnecessary sentimentality, but rather one of burying weakness and sentimentality, presenting strength and rationality outwardly.

Because weakness and sentimentality, things often classified as "inherent flaws," are things humanity can never erase.

Once erased, human existence becomes merely living for the sake of living. Humanity could no longer be called human.

These words sounded familiar. Thinking about it, wasn't this exactly what Michael constantly talked about?

However... "I" died long ago.

Regardless, from now on, it's the story of "the other her."

"Well then, let's begin."

Only after saying this did she abruptly realize she seemed to have repeated herself.

Amidst complex thoughts, she abruptly repeated it once more:

"Let's begin."