Dark clouds loomed overhead, thick with smoke rising from the scarred cityscape. Rain fell in steady sheets, soaking the shattered ground and washing over the lifeless debris of war.
Gunfire cracked through the air like thunder, mingling with the roar of artillery. Explosions flared in the distance, briefly casting the ruins in violent light. Screams, howls, and desperate shouts drowned out even the steady rhythm of the rain.
He stood in the middle of the chaos—guns in hand, armored suit battered and scorched, breath ragged behind a scratched-up mask.
Around him, the battlefield moved like a machine on the verge of collapse. Soldiers yelled, some rallying, others simply surviving. Mechs stomped through rubble, steel titans waging war with cold obedience. Civilians fled in terror, tripping over debris as they screamed for safety.
"Hold the line, dammit!"
"We're almost out of ammo!"
"Medic! I need a medic here!"
"Get those civilians into the Bullheads, now!"
"Where the hell are the Atlas reinforcements?!"
"The CCT's been overrun! Communications are down!"
"Sir! Eastern wall's breached! Another wave is incoming!"
"Commander! Say something—we need your orders!"
Adam blinked.
The chaos, the sounds, the pain. It wasn't just around him. It was inside him. Familiar. Too familiar. The haze lifted. Instincts surged to the surface like buried memories clawing free. His senses sharpened. His voice returned—calm, commanding.
"Vale has fallen. But we hold until the last civilian is clear. No one retreats until that happens. You fight—not for victory, but for your families. Hold the lines!"
His words cut through the noise like steel, drawing every eye—militia, Huntsmen, Huntresses. No one questioned him. No one hesitated. One by one, they turned back to the barricades, gripping their weapons tighter, bracing for the tide of monsters beyond.
Then—a flicker of white.
Adam turned, drawn by instinct.
There she was, approaching like a storm made of ice and fury. Pale skin, icy blue eyes burning with indignant rage, white hair as pure as snow pulled into a tight, severe ponytail. Her military uniform clung tightly to her perfectly proportioned form, pristine and unmarred even in the rain and battle, like freshly fallen snow. A saber hung at her side, her posture rigid and livid.
"Sir Adam," she hissed, voice sharp enough to cut steel. "Why? Why hasn't the retreat been ordered?!"
He stared at her. A strange pain throbbed in his chest, a flicker of something old and distant gnawing at the edges of memory. Her face stirred a longing he didn't understand—nostalgia? Regret? He didn't know. But his eyes remained cold, unreadable.
"You knew Atlas wasn't sending reinforcements," Winter continued, stepping closer, anger rising like a tide. "And yet you lied to them! You used me—my name! And you sabotaged the CCT Tower just to keep the truth buried, to continue this hopeless battle!"
"Are you trying to send these people to their deaths?!"
Her accusing voice cracked through the storm. Her usually pale cheeks were flushed with fury, eyes glinting with betrayed conviction. But Adam didn't flinch. At least outwardly.
Inwardly, Adam felt his head throbbing with stabbing pain. A voice, similar to hers, overlapping with a gentler and softer voice. 'You were always such a terrible liar, Adam.'
He gritted his teeth and turned slightly, eyes locking onto the eastern wall—where broken concrete had collapsed under the endless black tide. Another wave of death was coming.
He slowly turned his gaze back to her and exhaled softly.
"Thousands still haven't made it out and fewer Bullheads are capable of taking flight. If we break now, that plaza becomes a slaughterhouse." His tone was level, emotionless—but something unreadable curled behind his voice.
"So tell me, Specialist Schnee… should I tell them the truth knowing it would cause the situation to deteriorate further? Should I let the horde feast on innocent mothers and children? Should I do as you suggest—and let them die?" He scoffed, almost bitterly. "Hope keeps men on their feet longer than fear. Even if it's a lie."
He felt his head throb harder as he heard the voice again. 'Must you always wear this mask to hide your pain?'
He squinted his eyes, ignoring the whispers in his head and turned to her, leveling his gaze at her eyes. "Do you think they didn't know it was a lie? They knew it was, yet no one refuted it because this lie is the only reason they could keep fighting without hesitation."
Winter turned her eyes to the people fighting and saw the truth. She faltered, breath catching in her throat. She wanted to scream. She wanted to punch him.
But she couldn't.
She was a soldier. Her first duty was always to the civilians. And that's why she hated him. She hated what he did, and how right he was.
He had lied. Manipulated the entire defense force. Destroyed their one chance at outside communication. All to buy time.
And worst of all—she couldn't refute that this was the best course of action.
Now, hundreds stood their ground with that lie clenched in their hearts. Fighting. Dying. Breathing their last while clinging to a non-existent hope.
Before they could converse further, a sudden tremor shook the plaza, eliciting more panicked cries and screams.
Both immediately turned to the direction of the tremor and saw a massive figure looming over the barricade.
"That's… a Goliath?" Winter was the first to react and quickly reached for the blade on her waist.
"Tch! That's what breached the eastern wall." Adam spoke before his figure turned into a blur, racing towards the looming giant.
Adam acted as swiftly as possible to eliminate this massive Zombified Grimm—otherwise, it could breach the barricades.
"AHHHH!!!" Some weaker-willed militiamen were consumed by panic and ran away in terror, only to be killed the moment the defensive line collapsed.
Seeing this, Adam scowled but couldn't turn his attention away from the Goliath.
"Tch! Maintain the defensive lines! Fools! If it falls, everyone will die here!" Adam shouted, reminding them why they must keep fighting.
Fortunately, Winter, who followed behind him, activated her glyph. A wall of ice quickly patched up the broken barricade, and she used her summons to block the advancing Zombified Grimms—despite her hatred for him.
Both of their eyes crossed paths for a brief moment. She still hated him for what he had done. But she would reluctantly obey because there was no other choice.
Adam said nothing before focusing on the Goliath. In the next instant, massive artillery shells rained down on the Goliath in a sudden bombardment before Adam leaped out from the barricade to fight it.
But with the pressure of a new horde from the east, the defensive line collapsed further and further until the remaining people were forced into a single building, fighting with everything they had to resist.
When the only Bullhead finally returned, the remaining thirty people—Huntresses and civilians—were fit into the aircraft until it was overcrowded and barely able to take off.
Winter also boarded the Bullhead. But when she turned around to look at Adam, he was still fiercely fighting, holding off the endless tide of Zombified Grimms rushing up to the roof of the building.
Before she could ask why Adam didn't board the Bullhead too, the pilot cut her off with his question.
"Sir, the Bullhead is ready to take off! Please get on immediately."
"No. The aircraft is already overcrowded. Anymore and the Bullhead will risk a crash from being overweight. Take off immediately. This is an order." Adam replied coldly into the communication device, his eyes never turning away from the endless tide of relentless dead walkers.
However, the pilot insisted, unwilling to leave anyone behind—especially not the hero who had led the successful defense and evacuation of the people of Vale.
"Sir…"
"Your order now is to take off immediately, soldier. Remember who you are carrying on the aircraft. Your inability to follow orders will cost these innocent people their lives." Adam reprimanded, his tone flat and icy.
"...Yes, sir!" the pilot replied reluctantly before the hatch closed and the Bullhead prepared to take off.
Just as Adam was about to feel relieved, he sensed something had landed behind him—and it wasn't an enemy, because the high-tech device on his helmet didn't identify it as such. Instead, it identified this person as an ally.
Adam turned his head and caught a glimpse of that familiar pure white color—like freshly fallen snow, untainted and pure.
"You! Why did you return?" Adam shouted. For the first time, he lost his composure.
It was Winter. She had jumped off the Bullhead before the hatch could fully close.
She turned to look him in the eyes for a moment. Her lips parted, but no words came out. Then she pursed them again and spoke.
"I hate you. I hate your methods, your lies, and your manipulation. That's why I will not allow you to play martyr to escape the consequences. I will ensure you face justice for your lies." She paused with hesitation and continued reluctantly. "That's why… I must ensure your survival."
Adam stared at her. He felt like he was hallucinating. Her image overlapped with a blurry figure. Even if the figure in his hallucination looked blurry, she had similar pure snow-white hair tied into a high ponytail. Instead of wearing a militaristic uniform, the figure wore a more casual dress, very unusual for the scene of a battlefield. She was trying to say something to him, grasping his hands with trembling fingers. But her voice was jumbled and messy.
After another blink, the hallucination was gone, and his sight returned to this hellish scene as he stared at Winter.
"You fool. Absolute fool." Adam said straight to her face. His mask of calm confidence tore away as he shook in anger.
"You—!" Winter wanted to refute.
"Shut up!" Adam silenced her before she could say anything.
"I stayed behind because I am confident I can survive. But you! You just signed up for your death!" Adam felt frustrated and wanted to scratch his head, but both of his arms were busy mowing down the relentless horde rushing up the stairs.
After hearing what Adam had said, Winter found her action to be indeed impulsive. But, just because of that, didn't mean she didn't find Adam's action to stay behind isn't as reckless as her own.
As for the claim that he is confident to survive on his own? She didn't think it was more than another one of his lies. After all, who would believe that claim when the entire city is packed with the Zombified Grimms horde and more still pouring in from the breached walls.
Meanwhile, Adam was at the verge of a mental breakdown with the numerous thoughts swirling in his mind when a sudden prick and cold sensation at the back of his neck suppressed his chaotic mind and allowed him to calm down as if a sedative was injected into him.
But suddenly, Adam felt his body felt incredibly light as the sound of howls and gun firing became muffled. It was as if his soul became suddenly detached from his body and drifted away.
———
Nursing a splitting headache, Adam opened his eyes and found himself staring at an unfamiliar ceiling and surrounded by a sterile environment. Even the air was filled with the scent of steriliser and medicines. His body feels cold and his heart is beating restlessly as if he had just awoken from a nightmare.
He could still hear echoes of voices and recall fragments of scenes that he couldn't put together. But, one thing he could recall the most clearly was the impression of a figure. Hair as white as freshly fallen snow, pure and untainted. Sharp and icy blue eyes that felt stern yet also inexplicably soft. Pale white skin that felt deceptively cold but warm to touch. She is someone important to him. But every time he tried to recall, a splitting headache assaulted his head and a phantom of pain lingered in his heart.
"Win—"
"Ah! You are finally awake!"
A voice jolted Adam away from his thoughts. Causing him to lift his head up and stare at the person standing by his side in white long coat. His hands held a vial of medicine of some sort and a thick metal syringe.
"You… Dr Su?"
Adam guessed and from how this person smiled, he probably had guessed correctly.
"Yes. It's a relief you have finally awoken. You were on the verge of a panic attack just now. " Su put down the syringe and vial on the bedside table before patting his chest, sighing in relief before his expression turns stern.
"Really, what had you been up to and ended up in such a miserable state? You are practically on death's door when the ladies barge in carrying you." Su attempted to scold Adam for his recklessness but couldn't find the courage to do it.
Adam shook his head and said, "It was an emergency situation and I had no better choice at that moment. But rest assured that I am definitely not the reckless kind to seek death, Dr Su."
Su nursed his head while shaking. He didn't have the right to reprimand Adam because he didn't know what happened and Adam didn't strike him at the reckless kind to seek death.
Leaving the situation at that, Su just advises Adam to take plenty of rest to let his body recover before discharging him.
As Adam leaves with the look of confusion and pain still present on his face, Su glances over to the openly displayed medical report by the bedside and then back to Adam with a thoughtful look.
[Patient: Adam
CONDITION: Near-total Biological Collapse
TRAUMA ASSESSMENT:
- Skeletal Catastrophe:
- Full spinal column dislocation (C1-L5 vertebrae misaligned by 5.4cm)
- Pelvic girdle fragmentation (72% structural integrity loss)
- Ribcage inverted (right 3rd-7th ribs penetrating lung tissue.)
- Organ System Failure:
- Cardiac displacement (heart rotated 180° with severe aortic rupture)
- Liver vaporization (87% mass loss)
- Pulmonary collapse (left lung absent, right lung herniated into thoracic cavity)
- Cellular Breakdown:
- Simultaneous Stage IV tumors (pancreas, adrenal glands)
- Systemic necrosis (38% body mass undergoing liquefaction)
Treatment Log:
- 13:47: Patient clinically deceased
- 13:48: Nanomachine saturation at 12%, Nanomachine Saturation Boost administered by Medic T-Doll.
- 13:56: Spontaneous tissue expulsion via epidermal shedding (observed violent ejection of necrotic masses and tumorous tissues)
- 14:12: Organ scaffolds detected reforming
- 22:13: Full skeletal recalibration complete
- 22:15: Honkai Corruption test is conducted. (Confirmed Stage 0, 0% Corruption.)
Note:
-Only the head is preserved from any injury or damage.
-Patient exhibit an unnatural healing factor outside of the Nanomachines' capability.
-This isn't healing. This is basically rewriting biology. If we replicate this kind of nanomachine symbiosis and healing factor, Honkai immunity may be possible for every human!]
—————
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