Disclaimer: 'Honkai impact 3rd' is the property of Hoyoverse, Singapore. I do not own any characters in this story except the minor OCs here and there.
The Path One Walks
FIRE MOTH BASE – 2021(Previous era) (Five days later)
A woman was sitting on the chair at the bedside in one of the most luxurious private rooms available in the Third Institute's medical division. There was a single bed in the entire room which was occupied by a boy in his late teens. He had silver-white hair and was sleeping silently, taking in slow and steady breaths through the oxygen mask attached to his face. However, the tranquil atmosphere of the room was overshadowed by the current condition of the boy.
Bandages covered his entire torso, covering every inch of his skin. His forehead was also wrapped in a thick layer of bandages. Various fluids were being injected into his body, the most prominent of which was a red-coloured fluid which was the most essential for a human body. The boy's body was littered with multiple wounds, cuts and burn marks, the worst one being on the left side of his chest, just a few millimetres above where his heart is supposed to be. The bandages of that area were stained in a little amount of blood, even though the bleeding had long since stopped. There was also a deep puncture wound on the right side of his abdomen, where also the bandages were stained red. And even though his wounds were healing at an abnormal pace, he was still unconscious till now.
The people who had treated him had said that it may take up to two to three weeks for him to wake up despite his rapid regeneration. Five days have passed since then, with no signs of him waking up soon. This had caused a cloud of gloom to cast over the entire base. She could feel the anxiety and nervousness in people's tones regarding the boy's situation. She herself was not in a better position as each moment that passed without him waking up felt like years to her.
She had been here by his bedside for the last three days. The first two days that she arrived were spent in interrogation and ensuring the children were comfortable with their new surroundings. Surprisingly, the children took this change of place rather positively and maturely. The older children even helped with carrying the luggage and other personal items of the nursing home. She was also thankful to the head of the organization to provide them with a place to live. Although this arrangement came with its terms and conditions, she was happy that there was real hope that these children may be able to make it past their grim fates. Part of the deal for them to live here was for her to join here and help them in their crusade. She had accepted it without much resistance as this not only meant that the children will be happy and safe but also, she would be able to help the one who was currently on the bed.
Her eyes trailed his prone form as she frowned in worry and sadness. She had come here straight after all those things had been taken care of and she was given permission to visit him. She had been here at his bedside, waiting for him to open his eyes, along with others; however, at this moment she was alone since some of them had been called for their obligatory duties and others for questioning. She sighed as she saw his tranquil face sleeping soundly while not showing any signs that he will wake up soon. She then turned the page on the book she was reading while sitting on the chair.
The book was a philosophical one which dealt with the concept of right and wrong. The main theme of the book was how there can be wrongs in the rights, as opposed to how many people believed it. The book also seemed to convey the fact that a majority of the time there was no true evil, just different forms of justice. As she read through the book and thought about what the writer wanted to convey, her mind travelled to that night. He had shown an unimaginable amount of darkness and negative feelings but had also shown restraint and the ability to overcome it. This forced her to think that whether some people are truly evil or if is it just their prejudice to make themselves feel superior.
Her thoughts came to a halt as she heard a click come from behind her. turning her head, she saw a man and a girl of roughly six years of age step inside the room. The man's expression changed to that of annoyance and distrust the moment their eyes met.
"Kalpa-" the woman started to speak up. However, he raised his hand to indicate that he was not willing to talk now. Then he looked at her in a way to indicate that he will talk to her later. He then turned to the girl and said:
"Go tell him what you wanted to tell."
The girl nodded and went to the side of the bed. She then held the hand of the unconscious boy and started speaking:
"Nii-Nii, it's been nearly three weeks since we last spoke right? You know, I have completed the picture I was working on. I have named it: Twilight stars." she said as she took out a piece of paper containing the said painting. She then continued:
"It's going to be Christmas soon. Mama and Papa are working hard to prepare our room for the holiday. Papa also had brought this huge Christmas tree to be put into our common hall. It's so big. Dystopia-onee chan and Mama are working on it to decorate it. It's going to be so pretty when it is all set up. Aunt Mobius and Klein onee-chan are also helping. Even Elysia-onee chan, Welt-ojii-san and many many others too. However…" she trailed off as her voice started to tremble and tears started to fall from her eyes. She nuzzled her head on the boy's shoulder and started sobbing.
She then started to speak while crying:
"It's not the same without you, Nii-Nii. sob… sob… Even though everyone tries to smile… sob… sob… they are all worried about you. I'm worried about you. So please wake up Nii-Nii. Don't make your little sister sad. Please open your eyes… sob…sob…" she couldn't speak anymore and started to bawl out her eyes.
As she cried, the girl suddenly felt a gentle touch on her shoulder. Raising her head, she saw the woman whom she saw earlier looking at her the same way that mama did. The woman spread her arms and said:
"Come here, little one."
The girl then leapt into her embrace as she started to cry out her worries and sadness into the woman's bosom. The girl kept crying in the hug for some time until her cries quietened and her breath became more even. Looking down, the woman noticed that the girl had fallen asleep. She then wiped the remnants of tears from the girl's eyes and motioned the man to come closer. The man approached her with uncertain and guarded steps. Once he was close enough, she whispered to him:
"I'm not going to use my power on you. So can you help me find her parents?"
The man initially looked at her with distrust clear in his eyes. however, she stood her ground firmly and simply gazed back at him. after some time, she could hear him exhaling harshly. He then said:
"Follow me. But don't even think of doing anything, if you want to live."
At this, the woman simply nodded and started to follow him. The man then led her through a mesh of similar-looking hallways. They were so similar that she was sure that she would've gotten lost if not for him guiding her. they passed through many rooms; some open, some not. They mainly consisted of lockers with people chatting while sitting on benches present in the rooms. Some of them were wearing the same clothes she had seen the soldiers wearing, meaning that these were locker rooms for them.
She wondered if the boy in front of her also had one as well. She felt a little relieved and happy that he finally found a place to belong. Back in Dusk Street, all that he had to his name was the clothes on his back. She tried to look out for him by giving him food and clothes whenever she could. However, he would always push her away. She then ultimately had to use her power to make him accept it, which would lead to his outbursts and further distrust. She wanted him to know that she was not his enemy and only wanted what was best for him. Perhaps they could now mend some of that animosity that she was now part of the same organization he was.
The boy before her stopped in front of huge steel doors. It was different from the ones she had seen until now making her realise that this was perhaps the room for one of the higher-ranked soldiers here. And knowing that they were searching for the girl's parents, maybe one of them is the higher-ranked soldier.
The boy looked at her indicating her to go inside the room. He then inserted his I.D card into the port and typed the key. The doors opened with a hissing sound, allowing the woman to see what lay within. The boy looked at the woman indicating her to go inside which she did. Inside she could see a man in his late twenties with silver-blue hair the same colour as the girl and a woman with brown hair talking amongst themselves. Realizing the man to be the father of the child currently sleeping in her arms, she made her way towards them. The couple looked over at her as they saw someone approaching them. Their faces softened seeing the girl sleeping on the woman's shoulder. Once she was close enough, the woman with the brown hair approached her and said:
"Thank you miss for bringing our daughter here."
"It's nothing." the woman said while handing over the child to the woman. The child squirmed a little in her sleep as she found the source of warmth leaving but soon relaxed as she smelled the familiar scent of her mother. The man also rising from his chair approached her and said:
"Allow me to thank you as well, Miss. Aponia, was it?"
"Yes, that is indeed my name." the woman now identified as Aponia replied. At this the man said:
"Please allow us to introduce ourselves as well. My name is Ato Williams and she is my wife, Clara Williams." the man introduced themselves.
"You can call me Blanca also." the woman added. At this Aponia nodded. The man then continued:
"And our child whom you brought back is Griseo."
"It's a beautiful name." Aponia commented.
"I know right." the woman named Clara said and continued: "Thank goodness it was I who chose the name for our daughter."
"Hey, my naming sense isn't that bad."
"Oh, then Iron Fang is not a bad naming sense?"
"Hey, it is a cool name."
"Which you chose for our house." Clara deadpanned.
"Geh." the man flinched.
Seeing the light-hearted banter between the husband-and-wife duo brought a small smile to Aponia's lips. She wondered if she would be able to experience something like this. For some reason, the image of a certain silver-haired blue-eyed boy popped into her mind. The moment his face came to her mind, she blushed a little. She wondered why his face came to her mind at this thought. She was however not allowed to further think on it as the man now she knew as Ato asked:
"How is he by the way?"
At this, the atmosphere in the room became heavy. Everyone present in the room knew very well to whom he was referring. Aponia just bowed her head as she took it slowly, her sadness returning tenfold. Her head was bowed down as she felt immense guilt over what had happened. If only she had moved to protect herself then he wouldn't have to…
Aponia closed her eyes shut tightly as she felt them stinging. The room was silent for some time until she felt a warm and soft hand land on her head. Raising her head, she saw the woman looking at her like a big sister. She then said while continuing to pat her head:
"There is no need to blame yourself, dear. None of what happened is your fault. If it had to be someone's, it is his for not thinking through." she then released a breath and said in little anger:
"That's it. He is getting the schooling of his life once he wakes up. How dare he make us all worried again and again. Not to mention making such a gentle and kind girl like Aponia-chan cry."
"Ehehee." Ato just laughed nervously. He internally prayed for the boy as his wife's look now was one of those when she was in Mom mode. He then turned to the girl and said:
"Well, her aside, I also agree with her statement. None of it was your fault, Aponia-chan. It's just our job description to sometimes get hurt for stupid things." at this, he was pinched by his wife. He squeaked in pain:
"Ow-ow-ow-ow-ow-ow, what did I say wrong, darling?"
"Hmph." Clara just hmphed. At this Ato chose to be smart and stay silent. He then turned to the girl and said:
"You have been sitting at his bedside for all this while, right? How about you take a walk outside for a while? You know, tour the base, stretch your legs."
At this, Aponia remained silent for a while before she said:
"As you wish, Ato-san. If you will excuse me now please." she said as she turned around and left the office. Once the door closed behind her back, Ato sighed and said:
"She didn't listen to anything we said to her right?"
"Most probably not." Clara also released a breath and continued: "she still believes that it is her fault that Kevin got hurt by that spear remnant that night."
"What is up with women around him all trying to blame themselves for the bad things that happen to him?" Ato asked incredulously.
"It just shows how much they care for him. And then there is him, who acts so mean and rude to them. Arrgh, just thinking about it is making me angrier."
"Haha." Ato laughed and said:
"As they say, it's a part of his charm. I heard that some women are attracted to men like that. It's just his luck that all the women around him are like that."
"Even then it still doesn't make it right to be rude to them and make them so self-depreciative."
At this Ato just shrugged. Then he asked:
"How about the other two that came with her?" he then spoke like an excited child:
"But man, I can't believe that the world-famous Golden Diva would be one of the two. Hey, do you think I can get an autograph of her later?"
"For what purpose exactly?" Clara asked as she narrowed her eyes.
"W-well You know, being a fan of her and all." he said nervously. There was no way in hell he could admit that he like many other Moth members was a diehard fan of her.
"Hmm." she hummed, clearly not believing him.
"Even you wanted an autograph of her right? And think, she could be such a great mentor for Griseo. Her knowledge and sense of art are the most refined in this world. Many compare her to famous artists like Mozart, Beethoven and even Michelangelo."
Hearing about Griseo brought a small smile to Clara's lips. She then sighed and said:
"Fine. But try anything funny and…"
"No, no. none at all. After all, I have you and our princess. Moreover, it's not like she will give much attention to a small person like me. After all, her attention had been taken by someone else right?"
At this Clara giggled and said:
"Perhaps."
"Hehe." Ato just laughed along as he internally patted himself for dodging a bullet. He also internally cursed Kevin for taking his idol away from him. Why did he get all the good luck with women, he wondered.
As Aponia stepped outside the office, she saw the boy who had led her standing on the side with his back against a wall. The moment he saw her, his relaxed face tightened into a scowl again. As she approached him, he said:
"Follow me."
Aponia just silently nodded and started to follow him. after making their way through another set of hallways, they finally reached an open area. It was a beautiful garden with a natural stream flowing in the middle. The whole garden was filled with various rare flowers that grew only in certain parts of the world. The boy led her to one of the trees at the corner of the garden. When they were both under the shade of the tree, he spoke to her without turning back:
"Ask."
Aponia noticed that his voice still held contempt and distrust for her. she sighed as she realised that it was going to take a long time to mend their relationship as friends. However, she had to take the initiative now if she wanted to fix it at all. Thinking this she replied:
"How have you been, Kalpas?"
"Tch." Kalpas clicked his tongue at her question. He then said in a spiteful voice:
"Why do you care?"
"Because I consider you as my friend Kalpas. And as a friend, I'm naturally concerned about your well-being."
"Friend?" Kalpas said in a questioning voice "Friend? Do you even hear yourself Aponia? What even makes you think that this could be remotely possible?" Kalpas spat with ire clear in his voice. He then turned around allowing Aponia to clearly see his face. His grey eyes bore down at her with open contempt and distrust:
"Get this in your head woman. We are not friends. We never were, never will be."
"Why do you say so?" she asked calmly. At this, the boy before roared at her and shouted:
"Did you forget what you did to me? Did you think that I would even trust the lies that come out of your mouth? Did you think that I would even want to be near you after you used whatever witchcraft you had on me?"
"I just wanted to help you." Aponia tried to reason.
"SHUT UP." Kalpas shouted as he felt himself approaching the end of his patience "You only used that power to make me obey you; don't even try to say it otherwise. Every time that you come near me, you always fuck something up."
Aponia simply listened to him rambling on until he spoke:
"And now you have fucked up his life also. I'm one thousand per cent sure that he ended up in this state because of your stupidity. You always make things worse for everyone around you. When will you get a hint and stop bothering people who don't need your unnecessary help?"
Kalpas breathed in trying to get his breath back. He then looked at her with her head bowed down and said:
"So, what do you have to say for yourself?"
At this, she remained quiet for some time. Kalpas then could hear her mumble something. Thus, he said:
"What are you mumbling, say it loudly so I can hear."
"Ev… I…. wan…. ha….n"
"Huh?" Kalpas asked again irritated.
"Even I didn't want something like that to happen." Aponia finally said. Hearing her say this made Kalpas more irritated. The nerve of this woman to lie even in this situation.
"Don't lie to me, you-" he started, but whatever he wanted to say died in his mouth as he saw her face. Tears fell down her eyes like silver rain. Her breath hitched as she tried to keep herself quiet, but even then, her body shook a little with every sob that escaped from her mouth.
Seeing her like that made Kalpas' anger diffuse into thin air. He felt guilty for some reason even though it was supposed to be her fault. Exhaling a long breath through his mouth he said:
"Leave it. Get out of my face."
Aponia didn't say anything and just left the garden while trying to hold back her tears. Kalpas looked on as her back grew distant and then vanished into the darkness of the shadow that the door cast. He kept standing there for some time until he couldn't take it anymore and punched the tree that he was standing below.
"Fuck!" he exclaimed loudly as he punched the trunk. The tree shook and some leaves fell off due to the impact. He stood there, his annoyance growing. It was supposed to be her fault that the hero-boy ended up half to death. He should feel happy that he told her off about this. Then why all he felt was regret and guilt? He exhaled loudly as he couldn't understand from where this sense of guilt was coming from. Growing frustrated he punched the trunk again.
"You know if you punch it like that, it will break right?" a voice spoke up from behind him. he turned his head back to see a man with orange blonde hair and a baby face. Kalpas just grunted and said in his usual annoyed tone:
"What do you want Emile? As you can see, I'm not exactly in a mood to talk."
At this, the man just smiled and said:
"I can see that very clearly. How about a little match at the arena to blow off all that steam?"
"Huh?"
"We can make it a friendly wager. The one with the greatest number of kills can have his pick of meat for the dinner and the loser will have to pay for it."
Kalpas pondered over this suggestion. It did sound appealing if he was to be honest. Maybe this will give him the chance to blow off some of the steam as Emile suggested, and he was getting a free choice of meat to boot. Thinking this. He did his crazy-looking smirk and said:
"Fine. But don't whine later that I cheated."
"Don't worry, I'm going to beat you this time, no caps." Emile said happily.
"We'll see about that." Kalpas replied while keeping his smirk.
Eden was currently sitting in the guest quarters of the base. In front of her were the opera manager for her next performance, her own personal secretary and her personal butler. They all had frowns on their faces as two out of three of them tried to convince her otherwise of the decision she had taken now.
"But Miss Eden, this performance had been planned for two months now. If you cancel it at the last moment, it will look bad upon our image." the manager of the opera said.
"It is exactly as they say, Miss Eden. The financial team had predicted a loss of 6 per cent of their revenue if you fail to perform there. Not to mention, we could lose out on new potential sponsors." her personal secretary also piped in.
At this, Eden just looked at them evenly and said:
"Mr. Bright, Nancy, I know about the importance of my performance for both myself and the opera theatre. However, as I have stated earlier, I am currently not in a good mental state to perform to the fullest of my ability. So please understand my decision."
"But miss. Eden-" the two started, but were stopped by her butler. He then looked at them with discontent and said:
"Lady Eden was invited to a party where she was harassed by one of your so-called sponsors." he looked at the secretary and the opera house manager. He then continued:
"Furthermore, she got caught up in a horrific attack from a rogue organization from which she managed to escape just by a hair's breadth. Furthermore, her saviour got hurt in the process and is unconscious now. She had not slept properly for the past five days due to the nightmares she is having. The doctors also advised her to take rest for a few weeks. And despite all of this, the only thing on your minds is some musical performance." he snapped at them, making them silent. He then said in an angry voice:
"If you don't cease your whining now, then I will ensure that lady Eden never performs in your opera again. And as for you Miss. Nancy, you are her secretary, not her mother. It is your job to make sure to fulfil her wishes while also maintaining her schedule. If you cannot do even that, then we can always find someone else."
"No." "No." they stood up alarmed, afraid of what was being said coming true.
For the opera theatre manager, losing the right to host the Golden diva's performance was akin to death. He would be forced to close the theatre if she refuses to perform there anymore. And if that happens, there will be drastic consequences for than just losing his job. As for the secretary, she could say her professional life goodbye if they fired her now. This was something they both didn't want. Deciding thus, the manager said:
"It's no problem at all. Miss. Eden can come to perform at our opera house whenever she feels comfortable. We will do the necessary preparations. Our doors are forever open for the greatest star of our times."
"…" the butler simply looked at him. Then he looked over to the secretary.
"I will contact the concerned event organizers that Miss. Eden will not be performing for the next few weeks. There is no need for concern. I will handle all the necessary details and paperwork, so you can fully focus on getting better, miss. Eden." The secretary said while smiling a fake smile. She was really nervous at this point.
The butler seeing that the two of them won't be pestering Lady Eden anymore said:
"Fine. You both can leave now. And Nancy, make sure that no further people come to disturb Lady Eden while she is resting."
"Of course, Sir Browning." The secretary said and left the guest room quickly. The opera manager took off his hat showing his semi-bald head and bowed his head down in a gesture of courtesy. He then said:
"Then I will also leave now. I pray that your rest is most relaxing and fulfilling. We will always be here to welcome you back anytime, Miss. Eden."
At this Eden just nodded her head opting for silence. The manager then bowed again and left the room quickly. After the two had left, Eden turned to her butler and said:
"Thank you for taking care of this matter for me, Mr. Browning. I apologize for always putting you in a difficult spot." She then bowed her head.
Seeing this, the butler raised her head and simply shook his head.
"Please don't bow your head, Lady Eden. I promised Master Johannes and Lady Elizabeth that I will support you until my last breath. Furthermore, there is nobody that understands better than me how much you are in pain now. So please be assured Lady Eden, that you will get to be by his side until he wakes up and gets healthy again., and nobody will disturb you again like these people today."
"Thank you so much, Mr. Browning." Eden said gratefully. She was so happy and grateful that her butler was one of the few people who could understand her so well.
"It's nothing, Lady Eden. Now if you will excuse me, I have to go and discuss your stay at the base for the next couple of days with Sir Alexei." the butler excused himself and went out of the room. Eden sat there for a few more minutes before deciding to step outside herself. She made her way across the base by herself.
As she walked down the hallways, she saw various people going to and fro. All of them had serious expressions on their faces and an air of urgency hung around them. It made her realize that preparations for the supposed assault on the final hideout of the cocoon were in full swing. It made her feel uneasy, especially after what she had seen they were capable of back in Bucharest.
She then walked past the supposed cafeteria of this base. In there she spotted that soldier who was along with Ellie that night; Hua was it? In any case, she saw her talking and discussing something with a soldier. She noticed that even though the girl spoke with grace and composure, there was a tint of sadness in her eyes. The soldier seemed to notice it as well as he finally stopped talking about the topic that he was talking about. He then just patted the girl on the shoulder and went to get a second serving at the cafeteria counter.
The girl after the soldier left released a long breath and held her head in her hands while supporting it on the table. It wasn't difficult for Eden to realize what the girl was thinking, as it was something that was on her mind also. The feeling of sadness and hopelessness that she was feeling earlier returned, and her face then frowned as she recalled it. She then shook her head to get rid of those depressing thoughts and decided that she needed some fresh air.
So having the outside garden she saw earlier as her destination, she started to move. However, as if some sort of twisted joke, her feet took her to the medical wing of the base. She found herself standing in front of a very familiar door. She wondered for a moment if she should leave this place. She knew that she was not strong enough like Ellie or even Aponia-san to maintain her composure. This was the reason she had avoided coming here until now; however, it seemed that fate had other plans. Realizing that there was no escaping it this time, she took a long breath to prepare herself and pushed the door open. Once inside her eyes fell on the prone form of the one inside, and that was when she felt her breaking into million pieces.
She stood there, unable to control her emotions as a lone tear fell down from her amber eyes. She slowly made her way to the bedside and sat on the chair near it. Once she sat down, her eyes took in the person's bandaged form. She noticed the small cuts on his hands that were not bandaged. She felt her breath hitch the moment her eyes landed on the chest where the bandages were soaked in light red colour. Her eyes then travelled down and rested again on the abdomen where a similar red-tinted area was present. She took the person's hand in her own, caressing it. She could feel the callouses from the intense lifestyle of this person. How many times had this person been wounded like this before she wondered?
She then looked at their face to find a boy in his late teens with silver-white hair sleeping silently. Looking at his face, one wouldn't be able to think that he was wounded so badly that a normal person would have most assuredly perished. She didn't know how he survived but was extremely thankful for it nonetheless. However, the happiness of his survival was drowned out by his current condition. Seeing him like this, all bandaged up and vulnerable on a medical bed hurt her badly. Mr. Browning had spoken the truth, she was not emotionally or mentally sound for these past five days; and even though she was able to perform her basic motions of the day, anything more complex than that was still impossible for her.
She had been bombarded by so many truths that she was blissfully unaware of until now. About the Honkai, a mysterious force that was bent on humanity's extinction, those monsters called Honkai beasts, the disasters that stuck the worlds which were caused by them and the Honkai's apostles, Herrschers. It was so much to take in at once, and even now she was not able to understand much of it. But what she understood was that this battle between the Moths and Cocoon was deeper than some simple organizational rivalry.
Her thumb caressed the boy's hands gently as she pondered over this new information that she had gotten. Her heart clenched in pain as she saw the face of the boy who had been fighting against those monsters from such a young age. She was appalled when she learned that he had been fighting those beasts from the age of ten. Ten. Not even in his teenage years, but at the tender age of ten. The age which should have been filled with happiness and parents' love was instead filled with death and violence. Instead of a warm and cosy home, all he had known was the cold battlefield. Instead of going to school and learning so many things, he had to learn how to pull a trigger to kill someone. She still remembered when she started getting her first piano lessons at the age of ten; to think the first lessons he got were how to kill monsters.
She had initially burst out demanding what they even had been thinking to allow such a young child to join their ranks. She had shown her anger to the commander of this organization, Mr. Alexei. However, instead of making up excuses as she thought he would, he simply accepted all of her accusations. This made her angrier as to if he knew what he did was morally wrong, then why did he accept it? To her dismay, none of them answered with them just simply hanging their heads slightly. A man with brown hair with a slick of white wearing a lab coat then approached her. He was wearing glasses and looked to be a researcher at this place. However, as how the soldiers became stiff as he approached her, she understood that he was also one of the high-ranking people here. He looked to be a man of average build, but there was something off-putting about him that she couldn't place. He looked at her with neutral eyes and said:
"Sometimes there is no other way. Always remember this Miss. Eden: the only reason you are standing here today and shouting at us is because of him."
Eden wanted to ask further but a familiar hand on her shoulder stopped her. she turned around to see Ellie looking at her with sad eyes and shaking her head. She thus left the room, dropping the conversation; however, she still couldn't and wouldn't accept the fact that his sacrifices are necessary to win against those monsters.
She sighed as she realized that this train of thought was not going to lead her anywhere. She was not a fighter who could support him on the front lines like Ellie and Hua could, nor was she a top scientist like that green-haired woman, Mobius-san if her memory was correct. She was just a normal human who supposedly happen to be one of the most famous artists of current times.
She couldn't protect him.
She couldn't help him.
The only thing she was capable of waiting behind safe lines while praying that he would be safe.
Eden grew more solemn as the realization dawned upon him. to her, he is her saviour, who has saved her not only once but twice; but for him, she is just another person to protect. Her sadness grew as she saw her own powerlessness to change anything. This was the first time in her life that her status, wealth, talents, and everything else she had were useless.
Really, what was she even good for?
She clasped the boy's hand tightly as if it was a lifeline for her. She didn't know how she was going to be of help to him but she wanted to be nonetheless. She wanted to return a part of the kindness that he had shown to her and to soothe his heart of the pain that he carried within. After hearing about his feats from Ellie and the others, she was more convinced that he needed someone to heal his broken and shattered heart. If not, she had first-hand seen what would happen when he gave in to the despair. And that was something she didn't want to see ever again. The sheer amount of madness and insanity she could feel from him was enough to drive her to her knees. It was almost as if he was not that kind boy who helped her back in Nagazora, but rather a mons…
'No. don't think like that. He is him no matter what he looks like. He is just confused, lost and in pain.' Eden mentally chided herself. Yes, he was just a boy looking for a way out of the crushing darkness around him. Even though he acted more mature than many adults around him, it should not be forgotten that he was still a boy of seventeen years of age. He was using his wrath as his driving force because he doesn't know any better. He just needed a guiding light in his life.
Eden would happily be that guiding light, but there was one big problem. She didn't know anything about him. and this was not the case for only her; everyone she had talked to was in the same situation. The only thing they know is that he had lost something extremely precious, akin to his family before he came to the Moths; but nothing more. Even Ellie who had been with him for the last three years didn't know anything about his past. And by the looks of the still older members like the crimson-haired woman who was the commander of the soldiers back in Bucharest and that other mister with silver-blue hair and stubble, they were none better. She wanted to know more about him to help him heal but there was simply no way to know.
"What happened to you, Kevin? Why won't you ever share your pain, choosing to suffer inside?" she softly whispered to the boy as she caressed his face with her hands extremely gently. Her face betrayed her emotions as tears welled up in her eyes again. She held his hand and buried her face on the bed next to him, choosing to sniffle quietly. As these thoughts ran in her head, she found herself drifting off.
Welt was currently standing in front of a large tube of glass that housed the corpse of the supposed agent defeated back in Bucharest. His brown eyes looked at the various monitors showing the progress of memory extraction from the brain of the agent. Even though he was able to extract the memories of up to six months, anything beyond that was a mess of data which was not possible to comb through. It had been five days since he was killed, so even getting those six months of memories was a godsend to him but it didn't have that which he needed.
He sighed as he took off his glasses to wipe them. He would have preferred more if the agent was still alive albeit barely when they brought him back; but as luck would have it, he was sliced to death by the former agent. He can't blame her though, after what happened with Kevin anyone who cares for him would've reacted the same. Thankfully, she had spared his head which was completely intact even upon his death. He was able to extract many useful memories from his now dead brain of which one in particular, caught his eyes.
"PROJECT SALVARE, Diagmata. What more did this guy and that grandmaster know? And how do you connect in all of this, Kevin?"
Welt's intuition as a researcher and as a scientist was telling him that these words were crucial in explaining the powers of the mark on Kevin's forearm. The capabilities that the mark had shown were out of his area of expertise and even all of the knowledge he had as the Herrscher of Reason failed to explain it. The mark showed the ability to harness some kind of higher dimensional energy that was even more powerful than Honkai energy. However, as this was a lower dimension, the energy couldn't be used in its pristine form and had to be converted to the nearest most potent form of energy, namely Honkai energy.
However, even this converted Honkai energy was way too potent than what they were used to. Kevin was not aware of this as his body was naturally in tune with this energy, but the concentration of Honkai energy produced by his mark was extremely dense. It was identical to a Herrscher's in strength; this explained why he could go toe to toe with them and win. There was also the fact that Surtr was overloaded with so much of this densely concentrated Honkai energy that its Soulium body had started to deteriorate even with nanorobots repairing it continuously and constant maintenance.
The Homura was a prime example of what would happen if this energy conversion went out of control. The blade had disappeared into nothingness upon its arrival back to the base. And even in the time that it was transported, it gave off such an absurd amount of Honkai radiation, that they had to keep it in a specially designed containment box with multiple layers of Soulium just to keep others safe. The ones whom first-hand saw the blade reported that the blade had turned completely black and gave an intense feeling of uneasiness to even the veteran soldiers. Welt himself feel pressured at the sword's presence when he saw it after it was unpacked in the lab. It was almost as if the blade had gained consciousness of its own, and whatever that consciousness was, it was not with good intent. It was almost as if the blade had become cursed.
Welt shook his head again and took a long breath as the questions kept piling up, and there were no answers. He had to ask Kevin about his past even if it hurt the boy. It had to be done for the future of humanity. He just hoped that Kevin would understand the situation and be cooperative; because even he was not sure that he would be able to force answers out of that boy.
Eden was having a dream about when she and her parents were on that vacation in Austria. She was fourteen at that time. Her parents had decided to visit the birthplace of the icon of all composers, and she being a devoted lover of classical was more than excited to see the halls where one of her inspirations performed more than 200 years ago. When they visited the Imperial palace in Vienna, Eden was about to burst out from the excitement. She had to try so hard to keep her composure as they made their way to the main hall where one of the greatest composers of all time performed his music. Her excitement grew tenfold when her father through his influence got special permission to see the very Grand piano with which he performed his concerts. She still remembers finally not being able to hold it in anymore and smiling silly when she finally got to touch the Grand piano. The memories of that vacation were some of the ones she cherished the most. The days of happiness when she would spend hours playing the piano, her mother's warm encouragements, her father's proud face on her talents, all were memories that lay closest to her heart.
However, the dream changed drastically. The surroundings melted away, taking her parents away from her. The teen Eden cried calling out for her parents, for her mama. Yet she never answered. Then she saw a bright light shooting up from the sky blinding her temporarily. When her eyes adjusted to the bright light, the scene before her rendered her speechless. She saw the same building burning in a black blaze, the flames choking out any chance of life around them. In the middle of the flames, she saw a very familiar silhouette of a human. The said human had silver-white hair and was wearing the familiar torn black battle coat. She tried to move, only to find herself being bound to the ground by thick black vines. The more she struggled against them, the more they tightened around her. it was to the point that she could hear her bones creaking; they also seemed to sap her life away as her body felt heavier by the moment.
She watched in horror as an inhuman figure came into the view. It was a mix between those so-called Honkai beasts and a human. The human portion eerily looked familiar to that agent person. The inhuman figure came in front of the boy and raised a big halberd which was spewing off those same black flames that burned the surroundings. She then watched in absolute horror as the mix of beast and human laughed in an inhuman voice and brought down that halberd. As the big blade came down, the boy then looked back at her one final time and said with sadness in his eyes:
"I'm sorry, Eden."
"NOOOOOOOO."
SLASHHHH.
"n… en…den…Eden…EDEN!"
"gasp." Eden gasped loudly as she woke from that nightmare. She looked around frantically trying to find that monster, her mind in total chaos. She turned her head from side to side, seeing everywhere. After a few moments, the realization sunk in that it was just a nightmare and that nothing of that morbid sight was real. She breathed heavily to get in as much air into her lungs as possible, trying to get her breathing even and calm down her racing heart.
That was when she noticed a soft hand on her shoulder. Turning her head, she was met with blue eyes with pink pupils looking at her in concern.
"Ellie?" she called out the name of the person to whom those eyes belonged to.
"What happened Eden? Did you have a bad dream?" Ellie asked in a gentle and concerned tone. At hearing her voice, Eden relaxed a little and said:
"Yes, I think so Ellie."
She then saw Ellie pull out another chair from the other part of the room and sit down beside her. She then held her hand and started to run her thumbs in calming circles over her hands. This gesture further calmed her chaotic mind, as her stiff body relaxed into the chair she was sitting on. After a few minutes of such a session cleared Eden's mind of all the lingering ill feelings from her bad dream and allowed her to return to her calm state. Seeing that she is now in total control of her emotions, Elysia asked gently:
"Do you remember anything about it?"
"Only fragments." Eden said in a confused tone "The large part of it is muddled like a fog. However, I remember me trying to stop someone."
"Hmm." Elysia nodded in an understanding tone. Then she said:
"Well, it's no use to dwell on it now."
"I think so." Eden said in an unsure tone. Even though she was normal now, still the intense emotion of terror and helplessness that she got from that nightmare was hard to forget. Seeing her dwelling on it, Elysia decided to change the topic.
"How are you feeling now Eden?"
"I'm feeling fine now."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes, why do you ask?"
"Because you are lying, Eden." Elysia said in an even tone.
"Ah." Eden became silent. There was really no hiding anything from her.
"Eden, there is no need to hide how you feel currently. Trying to bottle up your feelings will only burden you further. And I think both of us can agree that one such is more than enough." Elysia said as she looked at the sleeping form of Kevin. He still lay silent, taking slow and steady breaths through the mask attached to his face. Eden watched as Ellie's fingers gently traced his face before gently landing over his chest where the stab wound lay; her fingers stopped there simply lying over that red tainted patch of bandages. She watched as her face morphed into a familiar expression of worry and sadness. She could also guess what she was thinking, as there was only one thought on the minds of Ellie, Aponia-san, Mobius-san, Hua and many others, of course herself included.
"Do… do you think he will wake up soon, Ellie?" Eden asked in a despondent voice.
"I… don't know to be honest. But I hope it would be sooner than later." Elysia said in an equally sad voice. She then clasped Kevin's hand that was nearer to her and brought it to her forehead. She sat there in a prayer-like position murmuring something. When she strained her ears, Eden could hear a Russian catholic prayer to wish for health and happiness for one's loved ones. She could understand her sentiments, thus she herself clasped both her hands together and started praying as well.
She wanted to believe that their prayers would be answered. Otherwise, she didn't know how long she could keep going before breaking down.
Two days later
Kevin was in a very familiar white space again. However, this time there was no one to greet him. The landscape was endless white that spread out in all directions as far as the eye could see. It was an infinite world of white without an end to it; and in this infinite white world, he was alone. He looked all around himself finding nothing but an empty space bereft of anything except the all-encompassing white and mind-numbing silence.
He didn't know for how long he stood there until he saw something appear in front of him. At first, it was just a small ball of black. Then gradually it started to get bigger and bigger. Kevin was drawn to it for some reason unknown to him. He felt as if he would finally get the power that he sought. Power to defeat Honkai; a power that is even beyond the Honkai. As he approached closer to the growing ball, he could see the ball shrinking and expanding rhythmically. It was akin to a heartbeat. There were red veins running all over the spherical mass of whatever matter this thing was made up of. As he came close to it, Kevin felt a very familiar sensation. It was as if this thing was, he himself. But how could that be? Deciding to get answers, he touched the spinning mass of black.
The moment he touched the black mass, the throbbing started to intensify. The red veins started to illuminate in synch with the throbbing of the mass. Soon the mass expanded and morph into a humanoid form. Kevin watched as the black sphere morphed into a figure of… himself.
The impersonator had silver-white hair like himself, but there were glaring differences between him and the thing that impersonated him. For example, the impersonator had the same red veins running through his entire body, pulsing with each heartbeat. The black mass stuck to his body like clothes. But instead of just being material to cover one's body, it was alive. Small tendrils came out from the bottom of those so-called clothes. It made its way to the floor of the supposed landscape, penetrating it and seeping in through the cracks. The hands of this being were also not human with them being big claws like those of some Honkai beasts. And on its chest, there was a dark red gem, which gave off a very eerie feeling to him.
The impersonator opened its eyes, revealing golden eyes instead of his sky-blue ones. The impersonator looked at him coldly and silently. Kevin could feel the entity having great power within it but was unable to demonstrate it. He also felt that he was somehow the source of the abilities that his mark had shown. As if confirming his suspicions, the mark on his left forearm felt warm and shone a bright red unlike the blue it had shone until now. The moment the mark started shining, the entity spoke:
"So you have finally managed to draw out the true power of the Diagmata."
The voice was inhuman. It was even more inhuman than Roque's and Herrschers. It was almost like the entity spoke a different tongue than humans. Kevin wondered then how was he able to understand what this thing spoke. Perhaps it was also due to the presence of the mark. Whatever it was, he had to ask this apparition of himself for the answers it seems. Thinking thus, he asked the most basic question:
"Who are you?"
"▀▄█▀▄▐ ."
Kevin couldn't understand what this entity was saying. The entity looked at him with an expression that it understood that Kevin was not able to grasp its name. then it opened its mouth and said:
"It seems that you are not ready to know the full truth."
"The full truth?"
At this, the entity remained silent. Then it said:
"The power you possess goes beyond those of so-called 'Rulers'. But as with all powers, the price you will have to pay to use it will be greater than anything."
"What is it?" Kevin asked. He was willing to pay any price as long as it helps him to purge the Honkai and protect his comrades and close ones.
"You." the entity said in a tone of finality. Kevin was silent for some time before he chuckled a little and said:
"Is that all? This is a very small price to pay."
The entity simply looked at him and said:
"As you wish. However, don't regret the choice you have made here afterwards."
"…" Kevin remained silent. There was no way he was going to regret it. Only the living had regrets, and he was just a ghost of the past. The entity then lifted up his hand and touched his chest at the place where the heart is located. And then it started.
Pain. Unimaginable pain. It felt as if his insides are being torn apart in every direction possible. Kevin knelt down as he became unable to even stand with the pain wracking his body. This was the first time that he was experiencing this kind of pain after those procedures that were done to him in that cursed place. The pain became more unbearable by the moment as he felt his consciousness fading. His mind was torn and scattered in an endless expanse of space.
Kevin didn't know for how long the pain lasted. After a very long long time, the feeling of being torn apart became less and less. He became more in control of his body and his vision started to become stabilised again. After a long time, the pain finally subsided leaving a feeling of overwhelming power coursing through his body.
"huff… huff…" Kevin panted. Trying to get his breath and heartbeat under control. He then slowly turned his head up to see the entity looking at him with a hint of something in its golden eyes. The entity then came close to him and said:
"You took it better than I was expecting. Are you used to pain from your past or present?"
Kevin simply glared coldly at him.
"No need to be wary of me, Kevin Kaslana. From now on, I'm you and you are me. Thus, my powers are yours to command."
"…"
The entity then snapped his fingers. The surrounding world started to melt away, as the white texture was slowly filled with a snowy landscape. Large chains rose from the ground covered making their way to the eternally dark sky. The chains were completely black with hints of red in them. Seeing the transformed landscape, the entity looked at Kevin and said:
"Welcome to your Diagmata space. This is essentially your soulscape now."
"…"
"If you further want to train your powers, you know where to find me now." the entity said before snapping his fingers again. The snowy landscape started to fade away as Kevin felt his vision go blur. He felt something tugging at him. The entity then spoke:
"But for now, it is time for you to wake up in your reality. You have an oath to keep right?"
Hearing the word 'Oath' made Kevin stiff. How did this thing know that? But before he could say anything, the entity spoke again:
"As I have said, from now on, I'm you and you are me. I know everything there is to know about you. your past, your failures, your promise… and even ***."
"…"
"No need to glare at me like that. After all, from now on, your wishes are now mine. Purge the vile Honkai and burn down those false gods."
"…"
"I will give you the power to do just that. So master it to carve out your own path forward, Kaiser."
Kevin simply looked at the entity as with each word he spoke, he could feel a powerful energy coursing through his veins. It was dark, but it was also more powerful than anything he had ever experienced. He clenched his hands as he made up his mind: anything to defeat the Honkai and to keep humanity safe.
As the world faded, he heard the entity's voice as a whisper saying something to him; it was a warning:
"But always remember, great power comes with great responsibilities… and a great cost."
The world faded away.
Kevin opened his eyes, finding himself in a very familiar room. He deduced that he was in one of those private rooms in the medical division of the Third Institute. He then looked at his body not surprised to find himself being bandaged up from head to toe yet again. His eyes then roamed across the room noting two chairs on his left side. This meant that someone was sitting beside him, looking after his prone body. He felt both grateful to the person and ashamed of himself for making that person look after him.
Deciding that he had spent enough time laying down, he started to prepare himself to leave the medical wing. He pulled off the oxygen mask on his face and pulled off the I.V s pumping fluids into his body. After making sure that he was ready, he slowly put his feet down and stood.
The world seemed to spin around and his vision became blurry the moment he stood up. Standing straight took more effort than he had initially imagined as his legs were protesting with the lack of strength. He felt that breathing was a bit more difficult now, and his mind was not able to think properly due to a lack of oxygen.
He stood there for some time until his senses returned to normal and he could feel his body under his control again. He then left the railing of the bed he was holding as support and made his way toward the door. He was half expecting a nurse to appear the moment he turned the doorknob and opened the door. However, to his relief, nobody was present in the entire hallway, nor he could sense any other.
He slowly made his way out of the medical wing and to the general hallways. Oddly, he didn't meet a single person on his way, nor feel anyone's presence. It was as if all the personnel of the base had vanished into thin air. This didn't bode well with Kevin. Was he in another dream like the previous one? But this felt too real to be one. He decided that after getting his gear, he will start searching for anybody at the base.
Thinking this, he made his way to the Second Institute labs where he was sure his weapons and battle outfit were being stored. The moment he entered through the main doors, he was met with a junior researcher who seemed shocked at seeing him.
"M-M-M-Major Kevin!?"
"…" Kevin simply looked at him and said:
"Where are Surtr and APOLLO?"
"B-But Sir, I-I was told you were unconscious."
"…"
"R-Right this way sir." The researcher stuttered and led him to the weapons development and tuning laboratory. There he saw his trusty weapons on stands being attached to different electrodes. Different parameter readings were taken such as Honkai ambient density and conversion factor. Kevin ignoring all of the wires simply took the Surtr from the stand, forcefully removing the electrodes in the process.
"S-Sir the tuning for both of them are not complete yet." The researcher tried to warn. Kevin simply ignored him and made his way to a new battle coat hanging on a glass panel. The panel had his name written along with the battle coat's name.
"Anti-Honkai battle suit prototype, AZURE KNIGHT: GLADIATOR."
The coat was black with white lining and blue accents. It had a gold-trimmed lining on the top, which opened into a large collar. There was a big blue suspender belt to hold utilities and accessories. The coat went downwards which ended in a white buckle-like structure. There was a shoulder guard at the left shoulder and a knee guard at the right knee. The arms had an exoskeleton-like covering which ended in black full gloves with blue palms. There were also blue portions at the open chest area and at the shoulders and knee guard. The battle coat was completed by a pair of long boots with its laces all the way up to gold-coloured cuff endings. All in all, the battle suit was practical and functional despite its somewhat flashy appearance.
He picked out the outfit and made his way to the small side room in the lab where materials were stored. He then opened his medicinal gown to show his bandaged body. His eyes fell upon the stab wounds on his abdomen and on his chest near his heart. he was lucky that the spear from Roque only pierced him near his heart, not through it. Otherwise, it would have been impossible to survive even with his regeneration. Perhaps it was *** saving him again in some way. That means now he had to repay that sentiment by protecting his comrades.
Comrades. He realized that he finally found something worth fighting for. He had been fighting while being empty for so long that it had become second nature for him. Yet seeing Elysia hurt that night in the Imperial Hall made him more restless than usual. And during that fight against the agent, he had the realization that he was actually fighting this entire time to protect his friends from pain. When did this happen, he didn't know, but he will hold on to it as tightly as possible. He had finally found a reason to fight after searching for so so long, and he was going to cherish it.
Thinking about it he put the medical gown away and dressed in his new clothes. After dressing, he checked his reflection in one of the big glass panels. He hummed satisfactorily at the supposedly good fit of the clothes. It seemed that his measurements were well known in the organization but couldn't care less about it. He was thankful to Welt-san and Dr. Tesla for making such a functional battle suit for him. He stepped out of the side room after making sure that the battle suit was worn properly. Seeing him the junior researcher seemed shocked:
"Ah!" the researcher gasped.
"?" Kevin looked at him questioningly.
"I-It's nothing sir." the researcher said nervously. How could he say that Major Kevin looked extremely handsome and cool in that outfit?
"…" Kevin decided to leave it at that. Then he asked the question that was in forefront of his mind:
"Where is everybody?"
"Ah that. Everyone in the base is preparing to send the supplies to the forces that are leading the assault on the last remaining cocoon stronghold."
"!?" Kevin was stupefied. They found the stronghold while he was unconscious. He had to meet up with them. Those people were dangerous with each one of them having some kind of quirk for them. The ones who had gone in unprepared have just walked into their trap.
"Tell me the details." Kevin demanded.
"Y-Yes Sir." the researcher began "after we pinpointed the location of the stronghold with the help of that nun-looking woman, General organized an assault force to break into it and defeat the remaining core forces of the organization."
"Nun-looking woman?"
"Y-Yes. I have also not met her personally, but have seen her from afar. She looked like a nun with a butterfly-looking kind of trail in her dress."
"Did she have light brown hair in a braid?"
"Y-Yes."
'So Aponia was brought here.' Kevin thought. However, he didn't have time to dwell on it as there were other important things to consider.
"Tell me more about the assault force."
"C-Colonel Ato with Sergeant Kalpas were the ones leading the forces. Y-Your battalion under the command of Lieutenant Roberts is assisting as well. As well as that Ex-Agent of the Cocoon."
"Ex-Agent?"
"Yes. She has pink hair and is cooperating with us in exchange for her sister's rescue I believe." the junior researcher said while pondering.
'Sakura's here as well? Who else is here?' Kevin asked himself. But there was no time now. He had to meet with aniki and warn him of the potential danger while dealing with Cocoon. Also, he had to see this thing through as that agent knew about the experiments and that facility. Thinking thus he asked the final question:
"Where are the assault forces now?"
"I-I believe they have already left by now."
"…" Kevin looked at the researcher coldly.
"P-Please spare me, Major Kevin. A mere junior researcher like me is not privy to mission details. However, there are transport crafts taking supplies to the forces. You can take one of them."
Kevin then released his breath to calm himself down. After that entity had transferred that power to him, he found it becoming hard to keep his temper in check. He had to train himself again in mental discipline. It would not do to lose his rationale in the middle of any situation. He then released the researcher's collar that he had held unconsciously. He then started walking away from the lab. He then stopped at the door and said while looking back:
"What is your name?"
"M-My name sir?"
"Yes."
"P-Paul sir."
"Paul, you have my thanks." Kevin said while he walked away. The researcher simply stood there unable to comprehend what just happened. He then suddenly came to his senses as he remembered what had transpired. So, he acted as he was instructed and reached for the nearest communication panel. He then logged into it and contacted his superior. Soon a very familiar voice sounded:
"Who is it and what do you want?" the voice sounded annoyed as usual.
"I-I'm Junior researcher Paul of the Arma lab of the Second Institute in charge of weapon development and maintenance."
"Oh, Paul." The voice sounded as if it had recognized him and said: "What is it?"
"Dr. Tesla we have a situation."
"What is it? And it be better than what we have now currently." Dr. Tesla subtly threatened.
"I-It's…"
"What is it?"
"It's Major Kevin. He is awake and came to the lab to take his weapons and the prototype battle suit we have been developing for him." Junior researcher Paul shouted into the comms.
There was a period of silence from the other end of the channel until a shout came from it.
"WHAT!?"
General Alexei was going over through the detailed surveillance and scouting reports of the supposed stronghold of the Cocoon. Out of all the places they could be, they have chosen a historic fort at the stormy coasts of Britain as their last stronghold. There was only one drawbridge to enter the fort from the mainland. The rest of the fort was built upon a big stack surrounded by stormy seas all around. Entering the fort was going to be difficult along with the fact that scouting had revealed the enemies to number in thousands.
They had the disadvantage of location. The only way to gain access into the fort was to drop down from the sky which left them vulnerable to the AA guns that were pictured in the photographs that the recon team took. Still, it was the only way inside and General Alexei took his chances on it. There were going to be some casualties in this offense, but it was necessary for rooting out this organization. If he didn't take drastic steps now, more organizations like this one will try to bring down the Moths. This he couldn't allow in front of the threat the Honkai posed.
He was contemplating on what orders to give to Colonel Ato when the door to his office suddenly barged open and Dr. Welt walked inside, anxiety clearly written on his face.
"What happened Dr. Welt, why are you in such a rush?"
"We have a situation, General. It's Kevin. He's awake and has made his way to the transport crafts."
Hearing this the General's eyes widened a little before a soft chuckle escaped his lips as he closed his eyes. He then opened them and looked at Dr. Welt with a hint of proudness in his eyes and said:
"What are you so surprised about? We knew he would wake up in time for the assault. Well, we have to send him off properly now, don't we?"
"Sir." Welt sounded uncertain.
"Don't worry Dr. Welt. I won't send him if I decide that he is not prepared enough and had learned nothing from his mission in Bucharest. But if he indeed has, then I don't have any right to stop him."
At this Welt nodded and started to follow General Alexei to the command room.
"We can't allow you to go, Major Kevin. That is General explicit orders."
"I won't repeat myself twice." Kevin said as he unsheathed Surtr and ignited it. Orange-red flames with black streaks started to come out from the blade of the strongest of the current anti-Honkai weapon. Seeing this every person standing at the terminal was alarmed. They all knew that if Major really got serious and swung that sword, none of them would be safe. However, they still were soldiers first and orders from the General were a dogma to them that none dared to disobey. Thus, all of them stood their ground with shaking bodies and nervousness written clear on their face. One of them said:
"Please forgive us, Major Kevin. But General's orders are absolute."
Kevin closed his eyes as he sighed. He will try to hold back as much as possible and only knock them out. But before he could move, a familiar voice sounded from the announcement speaker.
"Kevin, stop."
As if dictated by a puppeteer, Kevin stopped midway from launching himself and stood still. Then he turned his head towards one of the security cameras and said:
"Greetings, General."
"I'm relieved that you have finally awake, Kevin. We were all concerned about you; some more than others." the General said which caused the command room to burst out in quiet chuckles.
"Hmm." Kevin simply hummed not getting what the General actually meant by the last part. The General then said:
"I know where you want to go and I will ask just one question: why should I allow you to join them?"
"…" at this Kevin was silent. He had many logical reasons: he had fought with four agents first-hand, he had more intel than what Sakura could have provided them, he knew about the organization structure and how to handle them and so on. However, a voice inside his head told him that this was not the answer the General was expecting. So he decided to say what he was truly thinking now.
"Because it's a promise."
At this, there was silence from the other side of the speaker before the General's voice sounded again:
"Promise? Not duty or Oath?"
"Yes."
"Why do you want to go and fight again? Do you think what we are doing is the right thing?"
"No. It's not about being right and wrong anymore. It's about my promise to protect my comrades."
"Are you certain, Kevin?"
"Yes. I promise to bring them all back safe and sound, General. So allow me to go." Kevin said while bowing to the camera. At this action, all the people present along with him were shocked as it was one of the rare times that he has ever bowed to the General and requested something.
The scene in the command room was the same. General Alexei then looked at Welt and said:
"So, what do you say Dr. Welt?"
At this Welt simply sighed and said:
"What do you even want me to say? You guys sure know how to play it dirty. However, don't expect the girls to be this forgiving though."
"haha." the General gave a laugh and said "Thankfully I'm the one still in charge here."
He then spoke through the comms into the speaker:
"Then go Kevin. Go and bring your comrades back safe and sound. However, you also must return unharmed this time. It's an order."
"Understood." Kevin said in his neutral voice and sheathed Surtr again. The soldiers standing there sighed in relief at seemingly having escaped a world of pain and aching bodies. They then saluted Kevin and one of them said:
"Please come this way, Major Kevin. We will be leaving in another ten minutes."
"Hmm." Kevin nodded and stepped into the transport craft. General Alexei looked at the screen showing the final preparations of the transport craft. He then looked at Welt and said:
"I thought that you will refuse."
"As I said, both of you know how to play dirty. You outrank everyone here and further how did he grow in such a short time?"
"So you have noticed it too. His tone carried the conviction of someone that had found something to protect."
"But it's not strong."
"It's enough for now. As he grows older and wiser, he will find that personal purpose that drives the rest of us. However, him saying that he promised to protect others instead of saying his usual oath shows that he has stepped in the right direction."
"Can't argue with that I suppose." Welt simply chuckled. He was feeling proud of his little brother figure for finally finding something to fill the void in his heart. it was not perfect, but as General had said, it was enough for now.
As the craft made its final preparations and started to start its engine for take-off, the door to the command room burst open; and entered the various women who cared for the boy more intimately than he did.
"Kevin!" a pink-haired girl exclaimed as she all but ran into the room shouting at the screen showing the now taking-off transport craft.
"General, tell the craft to cancel the Take-off NOW!" a mature woman with lime green hair said while looking at General angrily.
"No." the General simply replied.
"What do you mean no?" the woman asked clearly fuming now.
"I said I will not cancel the taking-off of the aircraft. He had given a satisfactory answer to my question and thus I have deemed him ready. Furthermore, do you think anybody can stop someone like him?"
"But-"
"No buts, Dr. Mobius. We are all soldiers here, him being no exception. And it is a duty of a soldier to help his comrades in need. A sacred duty that I will never interfere with."
"Mr. Alexei 'Please' call off the Take-off."
"It won't work Aponia." Welt said "We have created a mental barrier around this room to block any kind of brain E.M waves that interfere with others."
"No." Aponia whimpered.
"As the General has said, we don't have any right to interfere in his oath. Surely you could understand."
"However, he is badly injured and had just woken up. Is it not your responsibility to keep him safe from further injuring himself?"
"I'm aware of that Ms. Eden. However, the soldiers present there are also more than capable of assisting him; and further, this is what he wants as well. Are you going to deny his wish for your selfish ones?"
"…" Eden became silent, not able to give a counter-argument.
All this while they saw with eyes filled with tears as the transport craft was gaining altitude. Elysia then took hold of the nearest comm device and shouted with all her breath:
"We all are waiting for you. So you have to come back to us, no matter what… sob… sob… it's a promise Kevin… if you go back on it then… then... sob…"
She slumped down against the terminal, sobbing. Pardofelis seeing her cry hugged her from behind and soothed her.
"It's okay Ellie nee-chan. Kevin-boss will be safe no matter what. He is super-duper strong. Those agents or whatever have nothing on him."
As if her words were heard, they all heard a single line coming from the transport craft's radio.
"It's a promise."
To be continued…
Hello everyone, welcome back to 'A Warriors Destiny'.
So this is it. We are at the final battle and end of the Cocoon arc. Finally, finally, I can now debut our Great Magician in the next chapter. It took longer than planned, but hey it was worth it.
On a side note, YES I DID IT. The most beautiful Herrscher came home along with her Stigs and Weapon ALONG with her Elf no less. And all in 27k crystals to boot. I have never been this lucky this entire time. Now I have around 20k crystals remaining to pull for the Sus girl next version. I'm so happy.
How did your pulls go? please tell me in the comment section. And in the next chapter, we are ending the arc and moving to the rest period of this story.
A small spoiler, it is based on a recent summer episode.
As always if you like the story please leave a follow, favourite, and/or review.
Thank you for reading, until next time.