As someone straightforward to the core, once Hua had settled on a conviction, not even Mobius's oppressive aura could make her back down. To Hua, she was merely stating the truth.
She said calmly, "It's true—hope cannot be entrusted to a single person. But the undeniable fact right now is this: at present, Silas is the only hope we have."
Mobius's gaze tightened, her hand curling slightly on the laboratory table.
Hua didn't notice. To her, the hostility radiating from Mobius was nothing more than dissatisfaction—an assumption that Hua lacked confidence in her own ability, or that she had no method of defeating the Honkai besides relying on someone else.
She pressed on:
"The power of the Finality is beyond imagination. Only Silas, who completed the Chimera Project and succeeded, can stand against it. Kevin was also part of the project, yet the gap between them is plain to see."
"Tch!" Mobius sneered, opening her mouth to retort—
—but Hua continued unfazed:
"I'm not saying Silas should shoulder everything. I know I don't even have the right to demand such a thing of him. But even if I stayed silent… do you really think Silas would not carry that burden regardless?"
Mobius: "…"
…When had Hua become so eloquent?
Hua raised her hands, staring at her palms.
"I can't, and I don't have the right, to take that responsibility from him. But I can clear the path before him. I can bear some of the thorns that line the way."
She would never try to stop Silas. But she was willing to die for him.
She had thought before: if, in the Tragedy of Binding, the survivors had been the Thirteen Fallen Angels instead of the Fourteen Flame-Chasers, then perhaps humanity's chances against the Finality would have been far greater.
After all, among the Flame-Chasers, only seven had truly been tempered on the battlefield—Silas, Kevin, Elysia, Kalpas, Kosma, Hua, and Sakura. Of these, Elysia had fallen before the Finality, leaving just six. And in the final clash, only Kevin and Silas had truly been able to stand against it.
The Thirteen Fallen Angels, however, were different. Each one of them had fought on the front lines. Each possessed the power to take down an Emperor-class Honkai Beast alone. Even the youngest, Astaroth, was so strong she could suppress an out-of-control Kosma while still in her human form.
And Mastema—who always called herself the weakest Fallen Angel—Hua knew in her heart that if she fought Mastema in earnest, she would stand little chance.
Not to mention Lilith, whose strength was second only to Silas himself…
And yet, in that catastrophe, this most elite squad of fusion warriors was almost entirely annihilated.
Hua had long wrestled with the question: why was it she who kept surviving, time and again, when so many others fell? She still didn't know the answer. But this time, she was prepared—prepared not just to sacrifice herself in the fight against the Honkai, but to give her life in exchange for greater hope.
That was her resolve as a warrior.
Mobius finally looked away, a trace of weariness in her eyes. She waved a hand dismissively.
"Go find Ato for arrangements. Or wait until tomorrow—Silas will be back then anyway."
Having obtained the information she wanted, Hua left without hesitation.
Her relationship with Mobius had never been close. In truth, she could not understand, nor agree with, many of Mobius's ideals. Yet even she had to admit: the Chimera Project, initiated by Mobius, was humanity's only successful path to victory against the Honkai.
The other plans—the Stigmata Project, the Ark Project, the Valuka Project and the Ember Project—existed only as theories. Chimera was different. It had already succeeded.
And therein lay the rift between Hua and Mobius, a rift that extended to her rejection of the Flame-Chasers themselves. Yes, they could unite against the Honkai—but how could such a fragmented group ever compare to the Fallen Angels?
The moment the Flame-Chasers were founded, they had already been divided: the conflict between Elysia and Silas, the enmity between Kalpas, Mobius, and Aponia, Mobius's constant friction with nearly all the others…
The Flame-Chasers had never once fought side by side as a single unit.
After Hua departed, Mobius sat in silence in her laboratory for a long time, lost in thought.
Until Klein's gentle voice broke the quiet:
"Doctor, it's time for your exercises."
Mobius: "…"
That night, after much hesitation, Mobius finally sent Silas a message through her private account:
"No matter what, you won't change your mind, will you?"
Silas's reply came almost immediately.
"I won't."
The next day, the group returned to the Fire Moth headquarters from their trip. Hua, who had just arrived, was warmly welcomed.
"Did you enjoy your vacation?" Mobius asked, turning to Silas.
Silas nodded lightly. "It was fine."
"Mei, this is a doll I got for you. And these are clothes Su and I picked out together." Kevin placed a stuffed toy in Mei's hands, while holding a bag filled with clothes. "Want me to help carry them to your room?"
Mei glanced at Kevin, then down at the doll in her hands, her expression showing a touch of helplessness.
"Kevin, I've told you before. I don't need things that have more ornamental value than practical use. You shouldn't waste your time on them. …Forget it. As for the clothes, just put them in my room later."
With that, she turned and walked away, as if she had only come to check in on Kevin before leaving again.
Kevin sighed and looked at Su. "As expected."
Su hesitated for a moment before replying. "…Maybe Mei just isn't good at expressing herself. She probably likes the gift more than you think."
Didn't you notice how tightly she was holding the doll? You don't even understand Mei, yet you're trying to play matchmaker for others? And not only that—you're doing it right in front of a girl who likes Silas…
"Of course, of course! It was such a wonderful trip We had the most unforgettable time, you know" Elysia laughed brightly, pulling out a pink dress she had bought. She held it up in front of Mobius. "Look! I picked this just for you. Isn't it adorable? Don't you want to try it on right now?"
Mobius's face darkened instantly. "No. Put it away!"
Last life, you gave me a little dress when I got turned into a kid. And now, this time, before I've even shrunk, you're giving me a big dress instead?
"Silas also got you a gift~" Elysia teased, giving Silas a playful wink.
Mobius turned to him, her voice carrying the faintest trace of expectation. "Oh? And what is it?"
Just a little, yes—just a little expectation.
Silas pulled a calendar from his bag and handed it to her. "A fitness calendar. To help remind you to exercise every day, Doctor."
Mobius: "..."
Really? Of all things, you got me this?
Silas placed the calendar into her hand, watching as her face twisted into a mix of stomachache and reluctant acceptance. He couldn't help but smile softly, before taking out a small box. Inside was a delicate bracelet.
"Alright, that was just a joke. This is the real gift I got for you, Doctor."
Mobius tossed the calendar to Klein, then took the small box from Silas' hand and gave it a glance.
"An emerald bracelet?"
"I thought it would suit you, Doctor. Since I happened to come across it, I bought it," Silas explained.
Mobius opened the box, slipped the bracelet onto her wrist, and studied it briefly before turning her head away.
"Hmph, not bad. At least you have better taste than Elysia."
Klein: "…"
Doctor, tsundere personalities are outdated… you really shouldn't be doing this anymore.
Elysia protested immediately.
"The dress I picked out was obviously super cute!"
Hua noticed that Silas didn't seem to have any more errands to run, so she stepped forward and asked:
"Silas, are you planning to take another day off today, or start training right away?"
Silas' expression grew serious at once.
"I'll put these things away and begin training immediately. I want to regain my form so I can take on missions tomorrow."
Hua nodded.
"No time should be wasted."
As Silas walked away, Kevin folded his arms and remarked,
"You can tell—even if Silas didn't say it outright—he's actually feeling quite impatient."
Everyone glanced at him in confusion.
Kevin picked up the bag with Mei's clothes along with his own luggage and started walking.
"After all, it's all for the sake of bringing Lilith back as soon as possible!"
With that, he too dropped off his things and went straight to training.
Mobius: "???"
Elysia let out a helpless little laugh. She moved closer to Mobius and whispered,
"We saw Lilith during this trip. She has her memories as well."
Mobius: "!"
After a pause, Mobius' expression hardened as she looked at Elysia.
"It seems Kevin's daily training load is still far too light."
Elysia smiled sweetly.
"I was thinking the same thing~"
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