Inside Seele's room, Fu Li skillfully stir-fried the dishes in the wok.
Seele, meanwhile, was curled up on the sofa like a wary little cat, hugging a large plush toy. She stared intently at his back, her stomach letting out an occasional growl.
If one were to ask when she was at her most well-behaved, it would undoubtedly be when Fu Li was cooking.
It couldn't be helped. After losing her Herrscher Core, she still needed to eat. She didn't know how to cook herself, and the personnel at the base were hostile towards her. Thus, the only opportunities she had to eat delicious food were when Fu Li was in the kitchen.
Usually, if Fu Li was away on a mission, she could only eat the cup noodles he had stockpiled here in advance.
Soon, steaming plates of braised pork and pork ribs were served on the table. Fu Li sat across the table and beckoned to Seele.
"Come and eat."
"Oh…"
As the saying goes, one feels obliged to the person who feeds them.
Even a Herrscher like Seele, who despised humanity, rarely continued to curse humans when faced with such a situation.
The black-haired, red-eyed girl sat in her chair, glaring fiercely at Fu Li on one hand while rapidly sweeping through the food on the table on the other.
However, as the delicious food met her palate, the look in Seele's eyes gradually softened. Her bare, fair feet swung back and forth cheerfully, betraying her master's true inner feelings.
She was, after all, just a child. For a despicable adult like Fu Li, she was simply too easy to handle.
After finishing the meal, Seele wiped her mouth, dropped her bowl, and once again retreated to the corner of the room, staring at Fu Li ferociously.
"What's wrong? Still angry with me?"
"Hah, despicable human! I'll stop being angry when you give me back my Core!"
After eating, Seele performed her daily face-change, her delicate little face filled with indignation.
"Oh? But I borrowed the Core with my own skill. Why should I return it?"
"Ahhh! You detestable human! No, you detestable Li! You're too despicable!"
Once again shocked by the utter shamelessness of Master Fu Li, Seele stomped her foot on the floor in frustration, looking adorably helpless in her rage.
Naturally, Fu Li wasn't one to spoil such a brat. He took the empty bowls and went to wash them.
After washing the dishes, Fu Li patted Seele's head as was his custom, farming some affection points before leaving under her fierce glare.
When he left, however, he did not take the camera with him. He knew Seele would eventually give in to her loneliness and look at it.
---o---
[You returned to your room to see Hua with a displeased expression.]
[Hua was extremely dissatisfied with your insistence on adopting the Sixth Herrscher—your enemy—believing them to be the foe.]
[You remained noncommittal about this assertion, but you knew that the power of the MANTISes alone was not enough to prevent the destruction of this generation.]
[Although there were differences between the Herrschers of the Previous and Current Eras, you believed there must be a common thread connecting them.]
[In order to save this generation, certain necessary compromises and experiments were worth attempting. Reforming a Herrscher was a very meaningful one.]
[Your first talk with Hua on the matter did not end pleasantly.]
[Though your ideologies had clashed, you were still brother and sister. You simply spoke less during your daily missions.]
[One day, your Fifth Squad received a mission to Australia.]
[You retrieved your New Second Divine Key from Vill-V and arranged for Sakura to secretly protect Eden.]
[To most, it seemed like a perfectly ordinary mission to clear out Honkai Beasts.]
[But just as the mission was about to be completed, the captain of the Fifth Squad, Himeko, suddenly underwent a bizarre transformation, becoming the Seventh Herrscher, the Herrscher of Fire.]
[One of the two idols in Hua's heart had truly become the sun.]
---o---
Australia, twenty kilometers outside the Oz-Dome.
In an instant, the azure sky was completely consumed by firelight. Before the scope of the disaster could even be determined, all the squad members had completely lost their composure.
Their captain, whom they had always respected and adored, had transformed into their greatest enemy—a Herrscher—right before their very eyes.
"Hua, get the others out of here! Run to the left!"
Almost at the very instant of her transformation, a greatsword wreathed in flame tore through the air, cleaving down towards one of the squad members.
However, just as the blade was about to connect, Fu Li threw himself forward, blocking it with a single hand.
"Brother? And Captain? What is this? What's happening?"
Witnessing this unbelievable scene dealt a massive blow to Hua's psyche. For a moment, she failed to react, staring blankly at the fight between Fu Li and Himeko.
Aren't we all teammates? Why are we fighting each other?
The inferno raged on, the sounds of battle unrelenting.
Himeko's expression was as reassuring as ever, but the weapon she swung was merciless, each blow aimed at Fu Li's vital points.
"Captain, please, snap out of it!"
Fu Li was in no rush to extract Himeko's Herrscher Gem; he was simply sparring with her, buying time.
The moment the Herrscher of Fire was born, hellfire had already descended upon all of Australia. Taking the Core now or later would make little difference to the number of casualties.
"Li, I am perfectly lucid. I have never been more lucid in my life!!"
"There is no hope for humanity! Humanity is destined for destruction!!"
"You have no idea what kind of existence I have seen! It is a supreme God, and under His decree, we will all die!!"
Himeko screamed as she swung her greatsword. A line of tears had just begun to fall from the corner of her eye before it was instantly evaporated by the searing flames.
In her beautiful eyes, the hope and spirit of the past were gone, replaced by only pessimistic despair.
Himeko… she saw God?
Seeing her reaction, Fu Li, who had also met God, grew thoughtful. He glanced to the side and saw that Hua was already being dragged away by her teammates, who had come to their senses.
He had also arranged for Eden to be rescued, so he had absolutely no worries at present.
Further talk was meaningless now. All he needed to do was wait for Kevin to be successfully created, and then he would take Himeko's Core.
He would make her a Coreless Herrscher, just like Seele, and then slowly investigate the cause of her transformation.
---o---
[The battle raged from day to night. The very air over Australia seemed to have been ground away as the two figures continued their relentless struggle.]
[You continued to wait, biding your time for the perfect opportunity.]
[Finally, ice descended. Kevin, having completed the super-soldier surgery, officially entered the battlefield.]
"Li, Dr. MEI said that I am to provide you with my full support and follow your arrangements. So…"
Looking at Fu Li, who was effortlessly holding off Himeko, Kevin's face was expressionless as he asked like the most qualified of soldiers, "What should I do?"
"Simple."
All the pieces were in place. A smile finally broke across Fu Li's face.
"Freeze her. Then she and I are going to have a little… heart-to-heart talk."