I already said this is not a life simulator!

There was nothing that could be done about it, right? At that moment, her captain, Himiko, suddenly showed hostility towards them. The detection device she carried instantly sounded an alarm, and then was immediately burned by the flames that she...it had manipulated.

At that time, she, like other team members, was at a loss facing the captain who had become the "enemy of humanity".

At that time, they still had a glimmer of hope in their hearts, hoping that everything before their eyes was just an illusion, just a dream, so they forced a smile and softly called out their captain's name, trying to get her response.

…Then, it swung a wave of flames, submerging their bodies.

If she had not been standing further back, and if she had not developed a sense of crisis from practicing martial arts since childhood that made her retreat immediately, she would probably have been burned by the flames.

But... Hua couldn’t remember clearly what happened afterwards.

She just wanted to escape from there, just wanted to stay away from it... She was scared, scared of attacking the captain who usually took good care of her, scared of becoming the enemy of the captain.

So...she turned around and ran away.

Although he didn't know why it didn't attack him when he was running away, Hua didn't know what to do anymore. He could only flee in a daze, trying to stay away from it as much as possible, away from the flames, and go to a place where the temperature was not so high.

But...where can I escape to?

The fire was still burning, dyeing the air hot and dry. I could feel the water in my body constantly draining away. The long run had exacerbated this feeling... I adjusted my breathing several times, but still couldn't stop gasping for breath. As I opened and closed my mouth, the hot air I inhaled once again took away the little water left in my mouth. With every breath, I could almost hear the friction sound in my throat.

She forced her cracked lips closed and tried to swallow, moistening her throat with her scarce saliva to relieve the increasingly intense stinging sensation. However, this move was undoubtedly a drop in the bucket. When she opened her mouth again, it was as if she was tearing her lips apart.

But Hua didn't care about these, he just ran away, confused, panicked, and... afraid.

Everywhere you look, there are flames and ruins. Even the sky is dark and gloomy, without a trace of light.

All that was in sight was the fire that was about to burn everything, and the billowing smoke that was produced by the fire.

She had clearly been running for a long time, but nothing around her had changed, as if she was still by its side... Once she had this thought, she became more and more scared and confused.

She didn't know what to do or where to go, so she could only rely on her survival instinct and escape desperately.

It was not until this moment that she realized that she had never been a warrior, or even a soldier... She was just an ordinary person who couldn't be more ordinary. When faced with the collapse, she would be so panicked and confused, and... all she knew was to escape.

It hurts so much...really...it hurts so much...

How long had she been running? She had no idea... Her throat was so dry that she felt like she would cough up blood at any moment. Thick smoke obscured her vision, and a strange smell filled her nose, causing her chest to feel tight.

Sadness, panic, helplessness...all these emotions weighed on her heart, almost overwhelming her thoughts.

And in the end, these emotions converged and turned into... despair.

That friend that I was on good terms with…had long gone.

The captain who guided him... turned into a "monster" and became a "herrscher" in front of him.

Those comrades who accompanied him... also turned into ashes.

For the first time, she had the thought, "Should I just die in the fire and go with them?"

For the first time, she understood why some people envied those who had no resistance to Honkai... Those people would die the moment the Honkai broke out, their minds would stop in their beautiful daily lives, they would not feel any pain, and they would no longer need to fight for survival.

So be it……

Hua's pace gradually slowed down. It was unclear whether it was because his body was too tired from running, or because of the feeling of despair that gradually took over his heart.

It’s too painful... too tiring... There’s nothing wrong with just giving up and being free - thoughts like these lingered in her mind, gradually invading her thoughts.

So be it……

Hua stayed where she was, gasping for breath - she was tired.

???~

In the distance, a familiar song can be heard, gentle, soft, like water and wind.

"It's Xi Wang's song... huh?"

Hua said this subconsciously, and then he was stunned for a moment.

Xiwang, hope...ha...if this pun appeared on ordinary days, it would make people smile knowingly, but at this time, it gives people a subtle sense of security.

It's as if the word itself has some kind of power.

tick-

"It's raining?"

Hua felt the water drops falling on him and muttered to himself in surprise.

She doesn't like rainy days. Rain will delay many things, and the humid air makes people feel somewhat unpleasant... But at this time, this humidity is so reassuring and fortunate.

The raging flames were contained, the thick fog that obscured the vision was washed away... everything around became clear.

"...Let's go find them first."

Hua said this and subconsciously moved closer to the direction where the singing came from. Her originally tired body seemed to have some strength at this moment, allowing her to slowly jog and get closer to the singing faster.

Hua...now began to understand why every rescued person was so grateful to Xiwang.

In this environment of panic and despair, his songs are like a ray of sunshine that shines through the dark clouds, giving people direction. His songs are like a life-saving straw that people unconsciously want to grab.

Hope...what a good word.

Hua thought so and trotted towards the direction where the singing came from.

The sound of the "Fire Moth" weapon can already be heard, and from time to time some slowly moving Honkai beasts can be seen around... They are all attracted by Xiwang's "song".

Continue walking forward, and you can see the soldiers who are methodically consolidating the line, and Xiwang who is surrounded by them and singing in the rain, with Eden by his side.

However, when they saw me coming, they did not show any joy. In fact... they looked at me with a hint of fear. Even Xi Wang stopped singing and looked over with surprise in his eyes.

……Why?

Hua was a little dazed.

Is it because I shouldn't be here? Or... ah, yes, that's right, I shouldn't be here in the first place, even though my captain has become a "monster" and a "herrscher" right in front of me, and even the other teammates have turned into ashes.

This is what I should have done, disappearing in the flames. I might even be praised and given a nice name like "sacrifice".

But now I am standing here... No matter how you look at it, I look like a deserter who has abandoned his companions... right?

In this case, it is only natural that they do not welcome me.

On the battlefield, no one likes a deserter who abandons his comrades.

Hua sighed in his heart and remained indifferent to the weapons raised by the soldiers, until... a touch of light pink like cherry blossoms caught his eye.

"Get down."

Ying said this, and then an ice-blue blade flashed, and the cold breath suppressed the heat behind Hua. Then she grabbed Hua at an incredibly fast speed, and took her away from the spot and back to the team before the other soldiers pulled the trigger.

It was not until this moment that Hua noticed... it turned out that it was following her, with the blazing flames following her like a shadow, as if she had not been away from it at all after running for so long.

"I was discovered..."

It said this, in a tone she would never use before.

"........."

Although they had expected it, the soldiers were still shocked when they actually saw it... It was not a pleasant feeling to see their former comrades turned into "monsters".

Not to mention, many people had been taken care of by Himiko before, but the "Herrser" in front of them... showed terrible hostility towards them with her appearance.

"But thank you very much, Hua."

The corner of its mouth slightly raised, and it looked at Hua who was still a little frightened in the team, and suddenly said this.

“Thank you for bringing me to this concert.”

? !

Although they realized that it was said so intentionally, some people still subconsciously moved their feet a little away from Hua, and some people unconsciously turned their heads and glanced at her with a surprised look, but they soon realized how rude their actions were and forced their heads back.

"........."

But Hua still noticed it.

She did not refute it. After all, it followed her and arrived right after her...it was a fact.

"If you can say that you were attracted by my singing, perhaps I, as the lead singer, will be happier, Ms. Herrscher."

Xi Wang took half a step forward unnoticed, blocking its meaningful gaze for Hua, and also helping Hua block the suspicious and surprised gazes of others.

Seeing this, the others also stood in front of Xi Wang one after another... No matter what, they had to protect Xi Wang in its hands, and everything else could be put aside for the time being.

"Haha...I like what you said, just like your song."

It smiled and did not keep its gaze on Xiwang.

"So... can you sing a song for me as a fan?"

As it said this, it raised its hand and gently snapped its fingers.

"Of course, it's just for me."

boom--

The flames raged, burning all the surrounding Honkai beasts. At the same time, a wall of fire formed around them, trapping Xi Wang and the others.

He stretched out his hand and grabbed in the direction of Xi Wang. A red flame appeared out of nowhere and rushed straight towards Xi Wang, burning all the soldiers who tried to stop them into ashes. The high temperature forced the others to flee, leaving them with nothing but dodges in a panic.

tick-

The rain was still falling, but it was not enough to deal with such a fierce flame.

He wielded the ice-blue blade, using the cold wind and ice to reduce the momentum of the flames, but to little effect.

The sound of triggers being pulled rang out, and countless attacks came, but were burned by the blazing flames midway.

It's useless... It's useless! Such an attack alone can't stop it at all!

People could only watch it, step by step, slowly, walking towards the dawn.

Anything that hinders her steps will be burned. In the end, it even got interested and no longer killed others. It just forced them back or knocked them away, and then set their bodies on fire, bit by bit, slowly, using the burning pain to hinder their movements and using the scorching heat to force them to stay awake, making them watch as Xi Wang, whom they wanted to protect, was pinched by the neck and held in its hands.

"very nice."

As it said this, it slightly increased the strength of its hands and crushed the loudspeaker around Yu Xiwang's neck.

"This way, your voice won't be heard."

Then he slowly let the flame flow, burning him bit by bit, and then showed Xi Wang in his hand to everyone as if he was showing off his proudest work, allowing them to clearly see the light purple lines that appeared on Xi Wang's body.

Ah... the erosion of collapse appeared on Xiwang, and... right in front of them.

"Don't worry, I won't kill you."

It spoke softly, as if to comfort Xiwang.

"As long as you are here, as long as you are the hope, they will rush forward one after another, regardless of their own safety, just like moths chasing after a flame... You see, doesn't this fit their name?"

It was still smiling, but it looked full of mockery towards everyone.

"team leader……"

"Ah... Hua, I'm glad you can still use this name."

It followed the voice, looked at Hua who had a confused expression, and said with a smile.

“You…really…”

"But, unfortunately, I am not your captain."

It didn't pay attention to Hua's words. It just shook its head and said with a sarcastic smile.

"After all, Himiko...is already dead, right in front of you, isn't she?"

"........."

Hua's thoughts stopped at that moment. He opened his mouth, but no sound came out. It was as if something in his heart had completely... fallen.

She looked at Xi Wang who was held in her hand again. The confusion in her eyes gradually dissipated, and she regained her calmness little by little, and finally turned into determination.

Since... it has been confirmed, and I have already got confirmation from her mouth, then... there is no need to think about it so much.

Keep your eyes on what’s in front of you, keep your thoughts on what’s in front of you.

I am a soldier, a warrior belonging to the "Fire Moth". What I have to do now... is to work with everyone to take back Dawn from its hands.

"Great look...you've grown up a bit, Hua."

It sighed like an elder sister, using a tone similar to Himiko's.