Looking at Elysia’s suddenly resentful gaze and Mobius’s triumphant expression,
Shiro couldn’t help but feel a hint of pressure, fearing they would ask that most taboo question.
“Who do you actually like more?”
Fortunately, at this critical moment, the versatile Vill-V appeared.
Vill-V approached, bringing Hua along with her.
“Pardon the intrusion, sir.
I am Hua.
I haven’t had the chance before, so please allow me to thank you for saving my life.”
The Damselette named Hua immediately offered her respects as soon as she reached Shiro’s side.
After all, if he hadn’t dealt with the Third Herrscher, that terrifying magnetic field and thunderstorm would have completely submerged the martial arts hall in Canghai City.
At that time, as she watched her father and the martial arts hall on the verge of falling to their deaths, Hua received news of a young man dealing with the Herrscher.
Subsequently, the magnetic field and the storm dissipated.
The sudden object of gratitude relieved Shiro’s urgent situation.
At the same time, Shiro carefully observed the future Immortal of Shenzhou.
With her hair in braids, Hua appeared quite youthful and restrained, lacking the aura of the Celestial from the next era.
Azure Empyrea, the Red Kite Immortal.
“I’ll accept your thanks, but there’s no need to be so formal.
Just call me Shiro.”
While Shiro was chatting with Hua,
“Doctor, we meet again.” A girl with dark brownish short hair and pink pupils smiled.
Mobius only spared her a glance before quickly looking away.
The two had met once before.
Compared to the enthusiasm of her current persona, Mobius seemed very cold.
One could even say she harbored a sense of hostility.
This was due to some past events.
Previously, under Shiro’s strong protection, Vill-V was not only spared from imprisonment, but the island originally intended for her incarceration was handed over to her for experimental research.
However, the experiments Vill-V conducted on the island using monkeys had aroused Mobius’s suspicion and killing intent.
Ultimately, for Shiro’s sake, Mobius did not take any action against her.
Thus, Vill-V successfully began building the prison [Deep End] and the weapons research department [Spiral Workshop] on Island P21.
Even though Vill-V was protected by Shiro, Mobius still had a very poor impression of her.
But since both shared the traits of a mad scientist, could it be that like poles repel?
[At the newcomer’s ball, you met many people familiar from your memories, but similarly, some unfamiliar faces appeared.]
[You greeted Kevin and Su, whom you hadn’t met before.]
[Besides them, you also got to know the slightly restrained Damselette, Hua.]
[Once the ball ended, you met the Higher-ups of the Flame-Chasers.]
[You knew that the Higher-ups of the Flame-Chasers had not realized the coming crisis.]
[What they saw was the powerful strength represented by the Herrscher, and the extraordinary form you displayed.]
[You had a “friendly” conversation.]
[Due to the power you displayed, even if the Higher-ups saw you as a thorn in their side, they could only treat you with courtesy.]
[You were very clear about this.]
[You also knew that when enough warriors became MANTIS through Super Transformation Surgery, that would be when the Higher-ups would test you again.]
[However, you didn’t care, because you knew that when Aponia completed her Super Transformation Surgery, that would be when you would unify the Flame-Chasers.]
[But before a shadow of the Super Transformation Surgery was even seen, news of a Divine Key arrived.]
[The first to be completed was actually the core of the Herrscher of Thunder, which was obtained last.]
[The Third Divine Key—the “Key of Judgment,” Seven Thunders of Purification.]
[During this period, the fourth herrscher, the Herrscher of Wind, was born.]
[This time you didn’t have to act; that Herrscher who controlled the wind seemed to be intentionally avoiding you.]
[Whenever you rushed there via teleportation without stopping, that Herrscher had already manipulated the ideal fluid to move to other regions.]
[Ultimately, the Herrscher of Wind was dealt with by a team led by Elysia and Kevin.]
[As for the losses, the Flame-Chasers did not report them.]
[But as a member of the Flame-Chasers, you knew clearly that over a dozen cities were destroyed.]
[Among them, in a certain small town, a boy named Kosma had tried to fight the incoming “storm.”]
[But the storm was merely an ordinary attack from the Herrscher of Wind, and the boy was eventually saved by Kevin.]
[One year later.]
[The chunibyo youth Kosma and the lively girl Dystopia both joined Himeko’s squad, and were trained by Kevin, who had been rapidly promoted to vice-captain due to his excellence.]
[In the same year, the Fifth Herrscher—the Herrscher of Ice—appeared, located not far from the city where Sundown Alley was.]
[But to the surprise of the Flame-Chasers, this Fifth Herrscher’s Honkai Energy reaction disappeared before the troops arrived.]
[When they finally arrived, what they saw was the corpse of the Fifth Herrscher.]
[As you expected, you knew that the one who killed this Herrscher was the sixth of the Thirteen Flame-Chasers, “Kalpas.”]
[In the original timeline, before the Flame-Chasers arrived, the wandering Kalpas encountered the Fifth Herrscher and an encounter battle broke out instantly, resulting in an instant kill.]
[After killing the Fifth Herrscher, Kalpas went to Sundown Alley and met Aponia, the owner of the Dusk Sanatorium.
Under Aponia’s persuasion, Kalpas stayed at the Dusk Sanatorium to become the children’s “porter uncle.”]
[Thinking of this, you felt it was time to go to Sundown Alley and “package” the remaining Flame-Chasers to bring them back to the Flame-Chasers organization.]
…Sundown Alley.
Dusk Sanatorium.
At this moment, inside the sanatorium, Aponia was closing her eyes in devout prayer.
Her nature was compassionate and holy.
It was as if she were born a pure Saintess, untainted by the dust of the world.
Her rosy lips slightly opened and closed, murmuring holy words that were hard to hear clearly.
Once her daily prayer ended, she slowly stood up and looked behind her.
There, a well-behaved and cute girl with short brownish hair was waiting.
“Sister Nia, another severely ill patient has arrived just now.
They need the help of your Discipline.”
Aponia nodded slightly, indicating she understood.
The girl named Pardo, her full name was Pardofelis.
She was a wandering child who grew up in Sundown Alley, dreaming of being able to eat her fill and take afternoon naps.
A very humble dream.
It wasn’t until she learned thievery techniques from a black cat that Pardofelis ended her days of hunger.
But as if her luck had turned, during a trip to the sanatorium to “restock,” she was caught by the sanatorium’s owner, Aponia, but was instead invited to work there.
So Pardo began living in the sanatorium, occasionally working part-time as a “righteous thief.”
Like her, there was another person.
Soon, Pardo revealed their identity.
“By the way, Sister Aponia, Brother Kalpas caught two ill-intentioned people yesterday.
I heard they’re from the Flame-Chasers.
What should we do?”
The Flame-Chasers, that was an official organization.
Because of the outbreak of the Third Honkai Eruption, along with some events that significantly changed from the original timeline,
The reputation of the Flame-Chasers had also been exposed quickly and began to spread among the populace.
Perhaps the general public didn’t know much, but to those fighting on the front lines against the Honkai, it was by no means a secret.
Glancing at Pardo’s rather worried expression, Aponia did not speak.
“Sister Nia, at least think of something!
If it really doesn’t work out, let’s leave this place with Brother Kalpas.”
The person she called Brother Kalpas was Kalpas.
He had joined the church only recently.
His identity was mysterious and unknown.
The only thing worth trusting was that his personality seemed quite simple, and he was loyal and righteous.
It was just that he usually acted a bit withdrawn.
The only surprising thing was that he played quite happily with the little children.
Without agreeing to or denying Pardo’s suggestion, Aponia said softly:
“Take me to see them.”
“Uh, okay.”
The brownish-haired girl pouted; she wasn’t good at fighting.
She hoped this matter could be settled safely.
Otherwise, everyone would have to wander the world in secret.
No matter how strong her thievery techniques were, Pardo was not good at fighting.