Honkai Impact 3rd: The Girl Who Chases the Flame

Mei accepted the criticism without saying a word from the very beginning.

"The Fusion Warriors project is nearing completion, and I trust Kevin, but what I'm worried about is..."

Mei calmly observed the current data simulation.

"The disaster has already happened."

.........

"……here we go."

Mebius stood at the highest point of the research institute, looking at the sky thousands of miles away, where he could still faintly see the flames.

"Is this the Honkai... Hahahahahahaha! Foolish people! Foolish high-ranking members of the Firemoth! Meltina was right! She was right, the world is full of fools!"

Humanitarianism? Banning human experimentation? Look at your masterpieces! When has such despair ever appeared on your beautiful but empty canvas?

Honkai, Honkai, Honkai! This is Honkai! It's unavoidable, it's unpredictable! World war-scale casualties? How foolish and ignorant I was! This is a harbinger of humanity's doom! Hahahaha, rebirth, new life! It will be born in the unknown!

"It's on fire..."

Danzhu collapsed to the ground, his legs trembling.

"What's on fire?"

Klein hadn't accepted reality yet; it was so far beyond human comprehension that she could only stare blankly and ask questions.

"Australia...is on fire..."

Danzhu trembled as she looked at the explosive news online.

Despair, rage, pain, disbelief, bewilderment...

At this moment, humanity lost all ability to think normally.

That place that can be considered the heart of the world...

Australia, a mecca of art and science, and one of the few continents inhabited by humankind, is on fire!

...............

"Tick..."

One drop, two drops, three drops.

Melutina, who was changing her clothes, stared blankly at the familiar face above her.

"Hi... Melutina... I came to see if you've changed your clothes..."

"What are you doing……"

Her voice was so hoarse it sounded like it wasn't her own, her throat was burning from the scorching air, but for the first time, Melutina couldn't keep up with the situation with her sharp mind.

She was changing her clothes, and then...

Then the sky collapsed and the earth cracked, and then this face appeared.

No, she should know it very well, at least better than anyone else present...

What is happening now is not the first time.

"temperature……"

"Snapped."

My chest felt damp and sticky, a sensation that felt both familiar and strange.

“...Nisha.”

Melutina managed to utter the next sentence, but all she could see was a sea of ​​red.

The woman died.

It was only at times like this that her experience as a PhD in biology made her realize this reality faster than anyone else.

With a large hole punched in her chest by the rock and flames still spreading behind her, it was impossible for any "human" to survive.

“Winnie…Sarah…”

It felt as if her throat no longer belonged to her. Melutina patted the flames on Vanessa's back with her hands. The intense burning sensation brought tears to her eyes, but she was completely unaware of it.

what……

Isn't that always the case...?

It always happens so suddenly...

And those who were saved...

In the end, it's always her.

When the roof beams, which could no longer hold on, collapsed with a deafening roar, Melutina simply stared blankly at the falling rocks and heard familiar yet unfamiliar shouts coming from afar.

If only I could just die like this...

How wonderful that would be.

Don't come to save me...

China.

Chapter Six: I Came from Hell

"Hey there, it's shift change! Can you hear me?"

"Idiot, stop shouting."

"Huh? But that girl has been waiting for twelve hours already..."

"That's the second squad's 'doll,' ignore her."

"Well, that's the one who's already undergone the fusion warrior surgery... isn't that horn just for decoration?"

"Of course not. And let me tell you, she has killed more Honkai Beasts than you have eaten. And because she always has that expression, she doesn't look human at all. She's like a doll, so we all call her 'Doll'."

"But no matter what, he's just a child..."

"You call that a child? Let me tell you, she has a close relationship with that infamous Seventh Herrscher. You'd better be careful not to get yourself involved."

"Okay, okay..."

…………

Although the two thought they were far enough away that the girl shouldn't be able to hear them, in reality, this distance was like whispering in someone's ear to the fusion warriors, offering absolutely no privacy.

But the girl wasn't interested in that kind of thing; she'd heard similar things too many times.

The girl stood up, leaning on her gun, and looked at the smoke-filled battlefield. Only when she was in such a place could she feel a moment of peace.

The large hood couldn't cover her horns, and the worn-out uniform indicated how long this girl had been on the front lines. Her face was covered in dust, but her dark eyes stood out.

This is a war.

This is one of the countless wars that have taken place between humans and Honkai Beasts.

"Hi! My dear Melutina, it's been so long... Ugh, it stinks!"

A moment of warm touch, followed immediately by an exaggerated scream.

Melutina silently turned around and saw someone who seemed completely out of place on the battlefield.

Moth Chaser versus Alicia, the captain of the second Honkai squad.

Even on the front lines, this person had a beautiful head of fluffy long hair, wore his own meticulously groomed uniform, and his smooth face was free of any dust.

"Captain Alicia."

Melutina spoke quietly, knowing full well that this woman, who looked like a young lady on a picnic, was one of the most powerful fusion warriors of the Firemoth.

The reason she always looks so glamorous is because so far there has been no enemy on this battlefield.

It's just that...

Routine procedure.

"You work too hard. Girls need to take care of themselves... Melutina is already so strong, so don't push yourself so hard."

Alicia pinched her nose to pinpoint the source of the strange smell emanating from Melutina as she spoke.

Although far removed from the brutality of the battlefield, that's just the kind of person she is, possessing an excessive enthusiasm for many things. Unlike Melutina, the place she's in feels like paradise, even in this hell on earth.

"...probably because the blood on the gun wasn't washed off properly."

Melutina raised the weapon in her hand.

“There was a Honkai Beast that was very close to me, so I stuck this up into its nostril.”

"Hey! Throw it away, throw it away! I'll get you a new one!"

Alicia threw the gun out of Melutina's hand with a look of disgust and pulled her towards the temporary base.

"I'm fine, Captain."

"When did you say you had something to do? This is an order from the lovely and beautiful Captain Alicia. Go take a shower and change your clothes."

.........

In the bathroom of the temporary base

Alicia vigorously rubbed Melutina's long hair with a large amount of shampoo, almost as if she wanted to rip it out.

"What are all these things... leaves, dirt, blood clots..."

Alicia continued rubbing with a dark expression, a very rare sight for her.

"You're a girl, a beautiful seventeen-year-old girl, your hair must be the most beautiful thing in the world!"

"……team leader."

Melutina neither accepted nor refuted the suggestion; discussing these issues with Alicia would be fruitless.

"Hmm? What's wrong? Do you want to ask me how to take care of your hair and skin?"

"No, I wanted to ask about Hua... how has she been lately?"

"You seem to care a lot about that girl; you often come to ask me about her."