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"Vya, are you alright? How did you end up with Himiko?!"
Elysia's voice came through the communicator, brimming with unmistakable relief.
"Sis, I'm fine, but Vya doesn't know how she got here either…"
"As long as you're okay, that's what matters. I'll come find you as soon as I'm done here!"
"Okay~" Vya replied sweetly.
Himiko cleared her throat. "I'll send her back right now."
"Alright then, thank you~" Elysia said.
Himiko stood up but didn't cut the call immediately. Instead, she continued, "So… Elysia, are you really not going to explain?"
"Explain what, my dear Himiko♪~"
"Why the child is here."
"Maybe Vya just accidentally wandered over there. Sorry about that~, my apologies for the trouble."
"I doubt a three-year-old would even buy that."
Himiko raised an eyebrow.
"How could that be? I'm sure Vya would believe it~" Elysia chuckled. After a brief pause, her tone suddenly turned serious. "Let's talk more when you get back, alright?"
"Fine."
Himiko gave a short reply.
After ending the communication, she glanced at Vya with a complicated look in her eyes.
The little girl was gazing back at her with clear, innocent eyes, a sweet smile playing on her lips.
'Whatever. We'll figure it out back at base. With the Honkai existing in this world, what else could possibly be stranger?'
Thinking that, she felt a little more at ease.
As for those two girls…
Himiko looked over at Hua and Carole, who were huddled together not far away, talking in low voices.
'Friends who survived a disaster… In a situation like this, having someone you know still alive is truly something to be grateful for.'
…
Not long after, at the MOTH base.
"Mhm, sis, I'm really fine."
Vya stood obediently, letting Elysia check her over from head to toe.
"Aiya, you had me so worried." Elysia cupped Vya's little face in her hands, turning it left and right. "I'm just glad Vya's okay."
She pulled the little girl into a tight hug.
Standing to the side, Himiko watched the scene with crossed arms and an expressionless face.
It should have been a touching reunion between sisters, but she couldn't quite see it that way.
'Those two girls have been settled in now… They should be alright.'
"Alright, shouldn't we get down to business?" Himiko reminded her.
"Okay, okay~_~"
Elysia reluctantly let go of Vya and slowly stood up.
She ran through the prepared explanation in her mind. 'Shouldn't be a problem. Surely Himiko wouldn't give a lovely maiden like me a hard time~'
She sidled up to Himiko and lowered her voice. "It's a secret, you see~"
"Enough, Elysia. Stop that." Himiko took half a step back, putting some distance between them.
"Well, the truth is…" Elysia put on a troubled expression. "It's because of Dr. Mobius. She said Vya is… different from ordinary people, and that she needed to run some small experiments on her."
Her expression suddenly turned pitiful, her voice even catching a little. "I don't really know the specifics… How Vya ended up in a place like that… I was actually planning to go ask Mobius myself."
"You're her older sister, aren't you?" Himiko frowned. "How could you agree to something like that…"
"But… Vya has to do this. I hope you can understand, Himiko."
Seeing Elysia like this, Himiko found it hard to press further.
Just from those few words, it was clear this matter wasn't simple.
'Better to let it go. Sometimes, knowing too much isn't a good thing.'
But in her heart, Elysia was silently apologizing. 'Mine and Vya's secret… still can't let too many people know.'
'Who would've thought the blame would end up falling on Mobius in the end? Hmm… Mobius probably won't mind. She must already have plenty of blame on her shoulders. One more shouldn't matter.'
…
Due to the Third Herrscher's interference with electronic signals, no visual data of Elysia's fight with the Herrscher remained, which actually helped keep their secret.
The disaster that would later be called the "Third Honkai Eruption" was drawing to a close.
The third Herrscher was also designated the "Herrscher of Thunder."
…
The scale of devastation from the Third Eruption set yet another grim record, though fortunately, information lockdowns were swift.
Still, the inexplicable disaster that struck several cities caused significant unrest in society.
Speculation and rumors spread like wildfire online, while officials maintained their usual silence.
To the public, it was announced only as a natural—or man-made—catastrophe.
…
A few days later, in the room where Hua and Carole had been settled.
"Hua, we've been here for days now," Carole said, lying listlessly on the bed and staring at the ceiling. "How come no one's come to check on us?"
"It's the fourth day…" Carole suddenly rolled over and sat up. "Hey, you think… maybe the outside world got invaded by monsters too?"
"Probably not," Hua replied.
Carole tried to keep her voice light. "Then why do you still look so worried? Don't be like that." She walked over to Hua and gently nudged her shoulder. "At least… at least we're still alive."
"Yeah, you're right." Hua forced a small smile, but the shadow in her eyes didn't fade.
"Ugh, who could've imagined something like this happening? And right at the start of vacation…" Her parents were overseas; she hoped they were safe.
But Hua's father…
Just then, the door opened.
A clear voice rang out.
"How have you girls been these past few days?"
Himiko walked in. She had come to check on the two girls.
'Hope they're holding up. They're just students, after all.'
"Oh, it's the red-haired big sister who brought us here!"
'Hah, well… that's a rather affectionate way to put it.'
"Let me introduce myself properly. I'm Himiko."
"So it's Sister Himiko," Hua said slowly, getting to her feet. Her voice trembled slightly. "Um… can I ask… what's it like outside?"
"If you're asking about Nagazora City… I'm sorry to say, the situation isn't good." Himiko's words were blunt.
"Then where are we now?" Carole pressed urgently.
"This is our base." Himiko took a breath, her casual tone now edged with a seriousness that made both girls tense unconsciously. "What I'm about to tell you… you'll need to be mentally prepared. Tell me when you're ready."
"..."
Hua inhaled deeply. "So… what really happened?" She wasn't sure what tone she had even used to ask.
"Nagazora City was almost completely destroyed by this disaster. And… there were very few survivors. You two are among them."
The words hit them like a physical blow. Both girls froze, especially Carole, who had lived in Nagazora for a long time.
To be told suddenly… that Nagazora was gone… She couldn't process it right away.
…
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