The hospital where Durandal worked was sealed off by Fire Moth because there were too many patients with the Honkai Disease.
Ragna's old friend, Otto Apocalypse of Fire Moth—an Otto with only one arm—took Durandal to see Ragna's already deceased body...
Amidst Durandal's sobs, Otto invited Durandal to join Fire Moth and became her guide.
But in reality, Otto didn't let Durandal truly join Fire Moth, nor did he ever tell her anything about the organization.
He simply passed on all his research findings on the Honkai Disease to Durandal and brought patients to her for her research.
Dr. Otto, as Durandal's teacher, always guided and taught Durandal. He shielded Durandal from the truth about the Honkai Disease, preventing the cruel reality from hurting her.
But the truth couldn't be hidden forever. As the Honkai Disease spread faster and more widely, the Honkai descended once again.
Fire Moth issued a warning, urging people to take refuge underground. On her way to the shelter, Durandal lost her chance to enter because she stayed to save a little girl who had lost her mobility due to a Honkai infection.
After trying all the medicine she had on the little girl to no avail, Durandal crossed her own line for the first time, using a dose of medicine on the patient that exceeded the lethal concentration...
The medicine successfully alleviated the Honkai Disease... but the Honkai Beasts came looking for them...
Durandal fiercely protected her patient, shielding her from many Honkai Beast attacks...
But Durandal herself was torn by numerous wounds from the Honkai Beasts, and the Honkai eroded her, causing her to contract the Honkai Disease...
Not seeing Durandal in the shelter, Otto immediately took a large team and desperately searched for her.
Finally, Otto managed to find the gradually-losing-consciousness Durandal... and at that moment, the friend Durandal had been constantly thinking of, Ryn, appeared.
Wielding the Judgment of Shamash, Ryn dealt with all the Honkai Beasts, and Otto took Durandal away from the scene.
......
When Durandal woke up, she found that the Honkai Disease on her body had completely healed. But the girl she had saved still died from the Honkai Disease.
Durandal couldn't understand why her own Honkai Disease was cured. Otto told Durandal that he had developed an antidote and cured her.
But Durandal was even more confused, wondering why they didn't save those other people if there was an antidote.
Otto picked up a flask and took a few big gulps, then forced himself to maintain a smile for Durandal, saying with a smile:
"Because the medicine is too expensive... so I didn't use it on that child."
"Expensive?! How can that child's life be measured in money?" the bewildered Durandal angrily questioned Otto.
Otto: "That child's life? You want to know which is more important, it or the medicine?"
Otto: "Then let me tell you how the medicine is made. For the past few years, Fire Moth has been researching the Honkai Disease, but we couldn't decipher its principles. We could only start making a serum from the bodies of the deceased patients.
The vast majority of patients die soon after infection, producing only a very small amount of antibodies in their bodies.
A very small number of patients have an incubation period after being infected with the Honkai Disease. The number of antibodies in their bodies is much higher than that in ordinary patients.
Statistically speaking, it takes the bodies of a thousand Honkai Disease patients to extract enough serum to save one person.
This medicine can definitely be called priceless, right?"
Durandal fell silent. It was an unsolvable problem...
Otto placed his only remaining hand on Bianka's shoulder, giving Durandal the courage to face the truth.
"Bianka, please don't doubt my choice. You are a crucial talent in the fight against the Honkai.
Moreover, among the providers of the serum that saved you, there was someone very important to you—Ragna. After she died, she donated her body to Fire Moth. Thanks to the antibodies in her body, we were able to complete this tube of serum.
I think, even in the afterlife, she must be watching over you."
Upon hearing Ragna's name, Durandal's tears couldn't stop falling, but Otto didn't stop speaking.
Otto closed his eyes, unable to bear seeing Durandal in such a helpless, fragile, and sorrowful state. But he had to tell her the cruel truth of the world.
"The serum extracted from Ragna's body will still be used to save other, more important people. This little girl you saved will also be used to extract serum.
In this world, there are no miracles, no magic. There are only countless people whose lives have been taken by the Honkai Disease, and the doctors who continue to advance over their bodies.
Bianka, within your body, you have precious antibodies. The dying wishes of those thousand people are now carried on your shoulders.
What you should do now is to continue fighting the Honkai Disease, to save thousands upon thousands of people."
Otto opened his eyes and looked at Durandal with determination.
"Some people might think my actions are inhumane. But in my view, no matter how many sacrifices are made, only curing the Honkai Disease and saving humanity is true justice."
"Your application has been approved. Welcome to Fire Moth."
Otto extended his hand to Durandal. After an intense inner struggle, Durandal shook Otto's hand.
"Doctor, I will definitely defeat the Honkai Disease."
......
Otto was not a good person. Durandal had always known this, and Otto never concealed it from her. As long as Durandal asked, Otto would tell her the truth.
But Durandal never blamed Otto for his actions, because Durandal knew that some things... had to be done by someone. This world couldn't do without Otto, and she even had to protect Otto for the sake of the world.
......
At Fire Moth, Durandal found Rita and Ryn... Rita had become a leading figure in Fire Moth. Whether in scientific research or leadership, Dr. Rita was the most important person. Dr. Rita proposed the MANTIS project and, together with Dr. Mobius, completed the Hyper-Modification Surgery that created the MANTISes...
And the first test subject... was Ryn.
Ryn became Fire Moth's strongest warrior, but the MANTIS surgery left his entire body at a constant temperature of minus 20 degrees Celsius. The sunny, cheerful Ryn who loved to laugh gradually lost his smile in the brutal battles against the Honkai, becoming a walking corpse that only carried out missions.
......
Not long after Durandal joined Fire Moth, a mysterious sleeping sickness broke out across the globe. People suddenly fell into a deep sleep and could never wake up again.
Finally, after the sleeping sickness continued to rage for nearly a month, Chief Scientist Dr. Rita and Otto made a public announcement:
The Eighth Herrscher, the Herrscher of Sentience, had been born...