Chapter 3: The Will that Changes Fate

House Empyrean: The fourth founding House of the Shicksal. Alongside House Kaslana, House Empyrean members have been chief combatants in the battle against Honkai Energy since the founding of the Schicksal organization. Members of the bloodline are noted for their incredible resilience to Honkai Energy, which borders on immunity as well as the ability to wield a mysterious power that runs counter to Honkai Energy. The source of his power is unknown, as any studies have produced no conclusive results. The current head of the Empyrean clan is Sigurd Empyrean, who broke the family off from the Schicksal after the 2nd Impact in 2005. As of 2019, his current whereabouts, as well as those of his son Soleil Empyrean, remain unknown.

-Excerpt from Shicksal Database, "House Empyrean."

"So let's just establish this and get it out of the way: What we're about to do is completely idiotic and something I'm sure your superiors are gonna rib you for something fierce."

"Yeup. But, there isn't anyone else around. We gotta do what needs to be done."

"Can't argue that much." Soleil hummed as he cracked his knuckles, his and Kiana's eyes on the storm brewing over the building they were now approaching, a trail of dead zombies behind them. As they took a moment to stop, Soleil pulled out his phone, clicking his tongue when the screen still didn't change. "Still like this. And if I had to guess, the energy coming from our newfound Herrscher pal is making some strong interference."

"Meaning information about the outbreak isn't going to be getting out soon. Let's hope it clears up once we're done here." Kiana said, checking her guns, replacing the cartridges that fit into their chambers over regular bullets. "Sooo… what is our plan for this anyway?"

"I thought you were handling the plan." Soleil said, Kiana staring at him blankly for a moment. "… you didn't have a plan in the first place, for any of this, at all. Didn't you?"

"Well, it's not like you can suddenly expect a Herrscher to appear y'know?" Kiana said, Soleil putting a hand to his head. "It's not like you were prepared either Soleil-senpai! Didn't you nearly forget your weapon?"

"Well, I didn't so it doesn't count." Soleil muttered, looking to the side.

"It totally does! You have no ground to mock me for not having a solid plan!"

"I believe I do!" Soleil snapped, he and Kiana silent for a moment before both started laughing. "I guess we're both idiots huh?"

"Hey, winging it's been working for us so far. Besides, you've got whatever power it is that lets you fight against Mei-senpai. With that we should have this in the bag!" Kiana said, Soleil looking at his marked right hand, a brief moment of the threads of energy moving across his arm occurring before he closed his fingers. "What is that power anyway? It's not Honkai Energy, that's for sure."

"I'm not really too sure on that myself." Soleil said, pocketing his right hand. "All I know is it's a family thing and has something to do with our unique Stigmata. I can't say I'm immune to Honkai Energy, but I know I'm resistant enough it nears that point. At least, that's what my dad told me."

"Having natural resistance is rare enough as is in girls alone, but for boys it's even rarer. But you are an Empyrean, so I suppose it's not surprising." Kiana shrugged as Soleil put a hand behind his head, the two looking off when the crack of thunder broke the air. "We shouldn't waste time."

"Yeah defi-GUGH!" As if out of some kind of spite, along with another crack of thunder, a piece of rubble came flying through the air and smacked Soleil clean on the side of the head, the boy hissing as he bent down and put a hand to where he'd been hit, Kiana's eyes wide as Soleil let out a string of curses… some in different languages for some reason. "Just my rotten luck!"

"That is… somewhat amazing." Kiana murmured, another crack of thunder drawing their eyes, and this time, now before them was Mei, her wing restored and crackling even brighter than before. "Well look who came to us! Thanks for not wasting our time."

"Hmph. It's my time that isn't being wasted. I merely came to squash two insects." Mei said, lifting her arm and loosing a blast of lightning at both the others. Soleil blocked the one aimed at him with a wave of his hand, Kiana stepping out of the way and shooting as she spun, Soleil drawing his sword as he chagred. Which got Mei to smirk. "It won't be so easy this time!"

Mei drifted back as Soleil stabbed at her, the blade missing by a mile as she shot out of it's range… though then the smugness on the Herrschers face suddenly vanished as she saw Soleil was smirking too. He pressed something on the hilt of the blade, and suddenly its energy edge vanished. The entire frame of the sword then extended, and at the same time a new edge formed, Mei barely moving her head to the side in time to avoid it.

"A spear?!" Mei drifted to a stop as Soleil pulled the weapon back, twirling the spear before placing it into a grip behind his back.

"I can use a lot more than just a sword! Empyrean specialty after all. Why use one type of weapon when you can use a whole armory?" Soleil remarked, spinning the spear into a readied hold, blue energy ribbons starting to stream from the blade. "Though there's a lot more I can do than just fighting. How about I tell you a story? A story about a girl I met the other day…"

"You be quiet!" Mei loosed a fanning wave of blasts at Soleil, the boy twirling his spear as he blocked by spinning his spear, a gesture from his head getting Kiana to move forward, firing as she skirted around the edge, directing Mei's attention to her, Soleil dashing forward and thrusting the spear out, Mei's wing blocking the strike as she turned back to him.

"She didn't have things easy. Her mom died when she was little, so it was just her and her father for years… heh, that's a feeling I can relate too pretty closely… all she wanted was for her dad to spend time with her, but he was always busy with work."

"SHUT UP!" Mei yelled as she swiped her wing, Soleil jumping back rolling away from blasts of lightning, Mei blocking when Kiana shot at her, the white-haired girl chuckling.

"I know her too!" Kiana said, cartwheeling away, gripping both her guns, causing energy to course around them before she swung them down, a massive hammer made of pure energy crashing down, Mei stopping it with a barrier of lightning. Soleil yelped in surprise when he saw that happen. "Despite that, she pushed on anyway, hoping things could get better! But… then something happened a couple years ago. Something bad. Her dad was taken away, and then suddenly, everyone she thought liked her turned on her. It didn't make any sense to her at all."

"I said, SHUT UP!" Mei swiped her arm and broke the energy hammer, Kiana flying back from the force of it. When Mei went to blast Kiana, the bolt was stopped by a streak of blue crashing into it. Mei shot around, catching Soleil's weapon as it came down in sword form again, electricity flying from the contact point between the two. "Just die already you maggots!"

"Gonna have to try harder than that!" Soleil snapped, keeping the lock held as his free hand deflected a strike from Mei. "So, she wondered and wondered, why did everyone turn on her? Why was the world suddenly so cruel?"

"DIE ALREADY!" Mei threw another blow at Soleil, lightning arcing across her arm… but, rather than a clean connection, even when it caused pain to arc up his arm, Soleil caught the first, the lightning clashing with the ribbons coursing from his palm. "Damn you!"

"Like hell I'm dying here." Soleil said, a grimace on his face. "I said I was going to save you Mei, so that's exactly what I'm going to do! So, you're going to listen to me and Kiana, and wake your ass up, got it?!"

Soleil forced Mei's arm to the side, gripping his sword with both hands, energy rippling across it, forcing it past Mei's grip and blowing the Herrscher away in a wave of sky-blue energy, sending her reeling back and into the wall of the building. Soleil panted as he wavered a bit, his left arm numb and crackling with electrical sparks, his Stigmata mark glowing as well, his eyes bearing a glint of their own to them now.

"Do you think that managed to do it?" Kiana asked, Soleil shaking his head.

"I don't think so. The air still feels heavy." Soleil wiped his mouth of a bit of blood on his chin, and he was proven right as the smoke cleared. While she looked like she'd taken the damage, Mei hadn't lost the marks of being a Herrscher, and now just look supremely maddened. "Called it."

"Darn, what is it going to take to snap her out of it?" Kiana muttered, aiming her guns. But, surprisingly, when Mei moved forward, she lurched. Her wing started to flicker out, and her eyes flashed back and forth between their natural color and the Herrscher's red.

"N-No! She can't be… she's trying to take control again?!" Mei then screamed as a pulse of energy shot from her body, Soleil catching Kiana as they flew back, planting his sword in the ground to bring them to a stop. "Dammit, dammit, dammit! Just stay quiet you useless girl! Don't you dare try and come out now!"

"She's actually fighting back!" Kiana said, putting a hand near her mouth. "Mei! You hear me right?! Keep fighting! If you can win back control, then you can…"

"SHUT UP!" Mei roared and loosed a bolt of lightning at the two, Soleil and Kiana dodging it. Mei growled as she put a hand to her face, and with a flare of her wing, the Herrscher flew up, to the roof of the building… and as she did, zombies began to shuffle out from the trees and the building.

"She must be trying to get closer to the storm!" Soleil said, he and Kiana already running for it as rain began to pour down. "If I'm right, the storm above us is concentrated Honkai Energy formed because of her Herrscher Core!"

"I get it! So if she's closer to that storm, then she can get power faster." Kiana replied, shooting at and kicking away zombies as they rushed into the building. "But, that also has to mean the Herrscher's control is slipping!"

"Which means there's a chance to break through!" Soleil changed his weapon to a spear and threw it forward, the spear ramming into a pair of zombies as he rushed forward and grabbed it again, ripping it free and continuing as Kiana dashed up the stairs. "I just need to get close. I think if I hit her again the way I did before, I can snap her out of it this time!"

"Will do!"

As they kept up the run, which considering the size of the building meant that they weren't going that far up these stairs, Soleil took a small pause in between taking down the zombies. His eyes shifted to his pendant, under his shirt so that it wasn't flying around, but the shape clear underneath it, thinking back to when it was given to him…

Three years ago…

Soleil grumbled as he kicked a small Honkai Beast, a weak and common flyer type, off of the blade of the sword he held. In the arms of the fourteen-year-old, the otherwise relatively light one-handed sword felt heavy. A few light cuts on his arms and face still had blood dripping from them, and flecks of blue energy ribbons were drifting off of his body.

"You need to get more control of your powers Soleil. They're still running wild." A smooth, older voice made the boy turn around, facing his father, Sigurd Empyrean. The man was tall with sharp features, his short hair the same burnt red-orange as Soleil's and bearing the same white marks, and true to their bloodline, bright sky blue eyes. Maybe ironically, the man and son didn't share many features beyond those however. Soleil was clearly a child who'd taken after his mother in terms of appearance. "Our abilities may grant us great power against Honkai, but that doesn't mean to let it run wild."

"I know, I know!" Soleil muttered as he stabbed his sword into the ground, sitting down as he also kicked the fading body of the dead Honkai Beast. "I'm trying, alright dad? It's just… I dunno, it feels tricky."

"You'll master them in due time. Considering how your first forays started when you were ten, you've made astounding progress." The man's remarks made Soleil look to the side, the boy wiping away some of the blood on his face. Sigurd sighed and stepped over to Soleil, pulling out some bandages and getting to work on wrapping's the boys arms up. The father took a moment, looking at both the faded and still dark scars Soleil had along his arms. He knew there was more elsewhere. By all means, a boy Soleil's age shouldn't have had any reason to have these scars… but their lives demanded otherwise. "Soleil, you remember our family's motto, right?"

"Of course I do." Soleil said, clearing his throat. "Let's see, it was… Hated by life itself, all we can do is carry on. There is no stopping a world that desires our demise. So move on, push forward, keep fighting. Rewrite the story, create a world where things can be beautiful again. Fight on, and unweave fate to create your own design. Right?"

"Exactly. We live in a world where things deign to take every measure, they can to get rid of us humans." Sigurd put a hand to the boy's head after putting a bandage over the cut on his face, ruffling Soleil's hair. "And it's why people like you and me fight to defend them. Remember, there is not a life that isn't worth saving, whether natural or unnatural. There are times where, perhaps, you may eventually have to take the life of another human, not just a Honkai Beast or zombie. When that day comes, you will have to be ready for it. As much as we may want to save everyone, sometimes, they become too far gone to be saved."

"I know… don't run away from living." Soleil murmured, his father nodding again. Soleil then tilted his head when the man reached to the chain around his neck, pulling off the pendant and dropping it into Soleil's hand. The boy rolled his thumb over the blue crown marking of it. "Wait… isn't this?"

"It is. Something tells me that now, it'll be better off in your hands than mine." Sigurd said, closing Soleil's hand around the pendant. "Soleil, one day, it'll happen. You'll meet someone who needs to be saved, and you'll have the power to do it. With this, you'll have a tool that will let you win. Consider it a good luck charm. I know for a fact a boy like you needs it."

"I'm not that unlucky dad!"

"Hahaha, sure you are. Now, pick that sword up. We're not done with training."

"Alright."

Soleil shouldered the door to the roof open. He and Kiana came barreling out into the middle of a harsh rainstorm, thunder cracking around them as they slowly moved across the roof. The darkened field of view from the rain made the glows from their weapons all the more prominent.

"She has to be up here." Kiana said, cautiously aiming around, Soleil's hand at his pendant as he scanned the area himself. Not like there were many places Mei could be at the time anyway. And with a flash of lightning and crack of thunder, again the two were faced with Mei. The Herrscher seemed in control again, no wavering, and her wing was solid once more. "About time! You know how hard it was to fight through all those zombies?"

"Honestly I should be thankful. This weak girl's fear of getting close to people made it all too easy to take control. Though you're certainly an issue, Kiana." Mei said, her tone cold as electricity crackled around her. Then a grimace showed. "But you, the Lynchpin. Oh how that detestable light of yours is making this a mess! I should've become a lot stronger than I am now from absorbing the energy I have, but that one always seems to have ways to screw things up!"

"Good to know my new pal pisses you off." Soleil scoffed, shaking off his left hand. "My arm's still numb from earlier as it is. Honestly, I'm not sure how much longer I can keep up fighting a Herrscher as I am now…. But I at least know I can do it long enough to save you!"

"You're still going on about that huh Lynchpin?! Fine, let's see you prove it!" Mei gathered lightning at her hands and let it loose, though rather than separate, Soleil blocked the blast and, with energy coursing across his blade, deflecting it to the side, Kiana dashing down the center, spinning as she leapt through the air, her kick landing clean and sending Mei back. Soleil changed his weapon to a spear, and with a spin, he thrust it forward, the energy along it arcing forward and shooting out in a straight beam.

Mei draw an arm out with lightning arcing across it like a blade, swatting aside the beam, and then clashing the lightning sword with Soleil's spear as he threw it right at him, Kiana coming in and kicking the haft to drive it forward more, her foot sticking as the spear lurched up as Mei tried to redirect it, allowing Kiana to flip off and come down as she swung her guns, the energy hammer crashing down on Mei.

"Now!" Kiana shouted as the hammer impacted, Mei's wing blocking it. Mei looked away as she saw why this had gone the way it had, as Soleil was rushing forward with energy gathered at his right hand. He tried to ram the hand at Mei, who pushed up with her arm and dodged, slashing at Soleil with her lightning blade, nailing the boy dead on and sending him flying to the side, though something seemed to move from him as she did, then driving the sword up and shattering the energy hammer, but also her blade at the same time.

"Not enough!" Mei turned and kicked Kiana away as the girl fell, knocking her right into Soleil. "If you think getting a touch on me will be that easy then you-AGGHH!"

Mei suddenly reeled as blue ribbons flew from her wing, the Herrscher's eyes wide, glaring as she looked and saw Soleil chuckling as he and Kiana stood up, a move of the boy's hand calling his spear back to his grip by having blue ribbons fly out and grab it to reel it back to him.

"I think you missed it." Soleil said, rolling his left arm. "Getting hit by that lightning sword hurt like hell, but,at the same time I was able to brush that wing of yours!"

"As annoying as expected." Mei grumbled, flaring another lightning sword back into form. "But I still have more endurance than either of you."

"You sure about that?" Kiana said, flicking her arms, causing the chambers on her guns to spin for a moment, a keen coming from them as the light-components lit up to a brighter shade. "All this lightning based Honkai energy in the air has been helping charge my Mjolnirs here! I can already use their power again."

"We'll see how long all your bluster lasts!" Mei's swing of the lightning blade caused a wave of energy to fly out at the two, Sleil leaping over while Kiana wheeled around, a smirk on her face as her hand then tapped a white device on the side of her belt. A pulse shot out, and the space around them all suddenly became tinted in a dark violet tinge. Kiana moved forward normally, yet Soleil and Mei had slowed down to a near crawl.

"Only a few seconds! Charge up…" Kiana pulled back her guns and conjured the hammer again, swinging it up as she got within range for it to strike, Mei's turn to it however, all too slow in the slowed timespace. "And go!"

Just as the bubble pulled back in, Kiana threw the hammer down, cleanly striking Mei and sending the Herrscher crashing down into the floor.

"What was that?!" Soleil yelped as he landed, Kiana chuckling as she spun a gun.

"A new piece of kit for us Valkyries! A Time Fracture Device. It only lasts a few seconds, but it slows down time when it's used. Getting my hands on one was quite the rough time." Kiana said, spinning out of the way of another blast from Mei. "I'll tell you more later Soleil-senpai, we gotta keep fighting!"

"No shit!" Soleil spun his spear back into sword form, blocking when Mei swung at him, their blades locking together, Mei glaring into him as their blade's dragged against each other. "You definitely seem annoyed."

"I should've had you two finished long ago, yet I don't. Of course I would be." Mei growled, raking her sword up and breaking the lock. The exchange of blows that followed showed a disparity between the two, Mei's strikes the measured methods of Eastern swordplay while Soleil's told of Western styles with his own flair mixed on, or coursed aided when he swapped his blade to the spear to give him the edge in range… not that it wasn't simply matched by Mei trying to blast him. Kiana fired at Mei again, though the attempt to distract was blocked by her wing. "Still not enough!"

As Soleil changed his weapon back to a sword while rushing in, the edge of Mei's conjured weapon suddenly grew brighter, the energy blade becoming far more solidified. When the two blades collided, rather than clash, instead, the edge of Soleil's weapon was cut right into, the Herrscher's weapon following through and cutting it clean in two. Soleil stumbled forward from the sudden change in weight, being sent flying back when Mei spun and swatted him with her wing, the boy crashing into the wall of the roof entrance.

"Soleil-senpai!" Kiana rolled back as Mei then turned her attention to her, Soleil falling from the crater in the wall, electricity sparking across his body as he shakily dragged himself up, the edgeless shard of his weapon also sparking from it's broken zone. "Tch, this is getting annoying! Will you just snap out of it already?!"

"Oh so you and I think the same?!" Mei's slash was dodged, and Kiana managed to get a kick in, the girl then slamming one of her guns across Mei's head, aiming the other for the wing and plugging it with every shot she could fire. Mei roared as the wing was broken from the bullets, holes appearing in the construct. With a growl, Mei swung again and knocked Kiana away, though from the state of things, both girls looked exhausted now.

"Grgh… damn, I think getting thrown into the wall hurt more than that attack did." Soleil growled as he managed to stand up, the most pain he felt centered at his back at the time. He was sturdy sure, but it didn't mean he was immune to pain. And right now, it wasn't like he could do much with a broken weapon, which he let drop onto the ground. All he had now was his switchblade and throwing knives. And those wouldn't help much. "Come on… if this keeps up neither of us are going to beat her… I need something!"

And then he remembered. Reaching down his shirt, Soleil drew out the pendant, which to his surprise was glowing.

"You should know what to do with that." Soleil looked around when he heard Sozo's voice, but there was no sign of the being around… only the view ahead of him and Kiana and Mei still fighting. Soleil grit his teeth and unlatched the pendant, holding it tightly in his hand.

"Yeah… you're my family's Divine Key, right? If so, then do something for me!" As Soleil gripped the pendant tighter, his surprise turned into a smirk when he saw thin blue ribbons starting to drift from it, intermingling with ones coming from his own palm, the chain waving around as a blue aura began covering the pendant, starting to edge across Soleil's arm. "Alright… let's go!"

Soleil swiped his arm out, a flash coming from the pendant as it then changed. Threads of energy swirled and burst around the air, another swipe from Soleil bringing the item forward and sending a wave of energy out, shredding the ground between Kiana and Mei, drawing their attention over to him. Now in Soleil's hand was a single-handed sword, the meter-long blade straight and pure white with a black edge, the guard shaped like two pairs of wings that wrapped around to form a basket cover, and the black hilt topped by a gleaming blue jewel. Blue lines lit up between the edge and core of the blade as Soleil swiped it up into his stance, level to his face with his bent arm under it.

"What the… you have a Divine Key?!" Mei shouted, Soleil chuckling as he stepped forward, a burst coming from behind him as he shot forward, a crater being left in the floor where he was. When he brought the blade down, while Mei blocked the strike, the force pushed down and made a new crater in the floor, the Herrscher growling as Soleil forced through the block and slashed again from a low stance, the two exchanging a few more clashes before their blades locked, though Soleil had the clear advantage in it this time. "Dammit! This is because that girl broke my wing!"

"Hehe, well then thanks to Kiana for doing that!" Soleil broke the lock himself, bringing his blade up with both hands on it. "Now listen up Mei, time to snap out of it!"

Mei's returned blade slashed as Soleil slung the blade forward, in a return of her earlier action, was met with her blade being cleaved through. And in the following motion, Soleil released the blade with his left hand, gathering energy around it and slamming his palm into Mei's chest, the Herrscher yelling as blue threads flew from the contact point before she was blown away, flying back and hitting the ground, rolling to a stop, her wing sparking and beginning to fall apart.

"Did… did we do it?" Kiana panted, Soleil's arm falling as his breathing became heavy, the sword in his head clanging against the concrete as his arm went limp, though his hand refused to slack its hold on the sword.

"Yes… you won." Mei muttered, her eyes flickering colors again as she shakily stood up, the wing completely collapsed and her left arm starting to return to normal as well. "I'll admit defeat this time. But I will come back eventually… so, make sure neither of you die, because the only one who is allowed to kill you two is me!"

"That's a classic line if ever there was one." Soleil muttered, a dry smile on his face as he held his right arm with his left. "Heh, but, fine. We'll just beat you back down time and time again, 3rd Herrscher."

"Bet on it! So, will you wake Mei-senpai up now?" Kiana holstered her guns while she chuckled, the Herrscher clicking her tongue, and one could see her Sitgmata mark fading now as well.

"We'll be seeing each other again sometime soon. So, yes… I'll give her control, for now." Mei's eyes then stopped flickering, going back to their normal shade of blue. The girl then collapsed forward, Soleil stepping over and catching her, Mei's eyes lidded as she looked around, clearly bewildered at what she was seeing, especially the sights of the beat to hell yet smiling Soleil and Kiana near her, with the blood from their wounds plus the fact they were absolutely drenched from the now retreating storm.

"Hehe, welcome back to the land of the living, Mei." Soleil said, Mei's eyes widening as she kept looking between the two.

"You two… no… I…" Mei stumbled on her words as Soleil helped her stand upright, the girl bringing a hand to her face. "What did I do? How I was acting… I…"

"Don't worry about it." Kiana said, bending down a bit. "You're alright now. Sure, we did kind of have to fight, and, well, look at us, but everything's a-okay now!"

"I think "fight" doesn't really describe it completely, Kiana." Soleil said, the white-haired girl chuckling. "But, yeah. Don't worry about it. Saving others is what people like me and Kiana do."

"But it… I felt like what was there for me… it felt addicting." Mei murmured, lowering her arm. "That feeling… that me who came out. All of this is because of me! I'm sorry I… if that happens again then I can't… I'm sorry! I shouldn't be…"

"Kiana, stop her!" Soleil bolted as soon as he could tell what Mei was about to do. Kiana caught on too as Mei went to the edge of the roof's railing… and threw herself over it.

But before she fell far, Kiana and Soleil were able to catch her by an arm. Soleil winced from the wounds he still had, but he kept his grip just as tightly as Kiana did despite it.

"What the hell are you thinking?" Kiana said. "Are you… stupid, Mei-senpai?!"

"But… look at all of this!" Mei shouted, looking over the grounds still strewn with zombies as the storm receded. "This… this is all because of me. I can't… Kiana-chan, I've already hurt you and this boy… if that me comes out again I… please just let me go!"

"DON'T RUN AWAY FROM LIVING!" Soleil screamed as he started pulling Mei up, Kiana pulling too, both managing to drag Mei up back to the roof, all collapsing to the ground once they'd succeeded. "Don't… don't talk like your life is suddenly forfeit."

"But you saw it!" Mei said. "How many people are dead because of me? What have I caused all because I felt that way?"

"Wanting to die over this is no different than running away!" Soleil grabbed Mei by the shoulders, the girl flinching from the intensity of his eyes. "This may have been caused by that you, but don't throw your life away! Life can be hard and unfair, I get that. But running away from all of it won't change anything! There's more to this world than just the pain and sad times. You've got a friend in Kiana don't you?! You'd be running away from her too by doing that! So, again, don't run away from living. Keep living on, move forward and use that pain to grow stronger! Even if you're hated by life itself, write your own story, and keep moving forward!"

A moment of silence followed, and Soleil felt like he suddenly slipped back a bit, like his mind had just forward before he could think much. He glanced around, realizing that now Kiana and Mei were staring at him pretty intensely themselves, and his face turned into a shade of red nearly matching his hair.

"Uh… did… I went off, didn't I?" Soleil muttered, skittering back from Mei and scratching the back of his head as he awkwardly chuckled. "I uh… do that sometimes. Dad always said I was a bit of a hothead and I just-ah you know what now I'm just going on a tangent!"

"That was so cool!" Kiana shuffled over to Soleil and threw her arms around the boy's neck, only causing his face to burn even more. "You sounded so cool just now Soleil-senpai! You looked so intense, it was like the hero of an action manga!"

"Ahhhaaa! Kiana, stop, stop! Need I remind you're all wet, and right now I am feeling things pressing into me I should not!" Soleil yelped, struggling to get free but also remember Kiana was freaky strong despite her size. "Mei help me out please!"

"Well… I… I also think you were kind of cool." Mei said, also twiddling her fingers as her face tinged pink a bit, Soleil letting out a small whine as Kiana got a bit too tight with the hug.

"I think embarrassment is gonna kill me first." Soleil muttered, letting out a groan. "Also… can we go find a place to sleep? Honestly I feel like I can't so much as walk right now."

"I don't feel tired at all. Just sore." Kiana said, Soleil giving the girl a narrowed look.

"You're weird. And also please stop choking me." Soleil muttered, his face going a bit blue, Kiana relaxing her hold, the boy sucking in a breath. "Thank you!"

"Well, this building is also for the staff." Mei said, putting a hand to her head. "If I remember, I think it also has a few rooms for them to sleep in. I think they should be safe enough."

"Good! Honestly I could go for some sleep after all of this anyway." Kiana said, Soleil nodding. "Oh yeah, you still haven't introduced yourself yet, Soleil-senpai."

"I already know Kiana but… yes, you're still a bit of a mystery." Mei said. Soleil gave a chuckle.

"The name's Soleil. Soleil Empyrean. Nice to meet you for real, Mei."

"Soleil Empryean. Nice to meet you for real, Mei!"

"Mhm. And I'm Mei Raiden. And again, thank you, both of you." Mei said, then yelping when Kiana moved over and then hugged her too. "Wagh, K-Kiana-chan?!"

"What? A hug means we're all friends now, doesn't it?" Kiana said, chuckling as she stood up, Mei nodding to the girl.

"Well, that's all well and good." Soleil said, flopping onto his back, looking up at the darkening sky above them. "Things definitely aren't resolved here… but I'll take this moment of peace while we've got it."

"You're making your way forward… good job." That wasn't Sozo's voice. Soleil sat up when he heard it, turning and seeing an odd blue butterfly fluttering way. The voice that had spoken had been a girls.

"What was that?" Soleil murmured, then remembering something. He reached into his pocket and drew his phone. The screen was still black, but now, the message on it was different.

Chance of Humanity's Survival: 100%