The Fire-Chasing Herrscher Who Destroyed the World

Sakura returned to the headquarters and saw Mikael just thirteen minutes and fifty-one seconds after twelve noon the next day.

"I just saw Ymer."

There was a bit of cherry blossom pink on the unpainted cheeks, which was a little darker than the cherry-colored hair.

"Where's the bell...ah, she should be taking a nap now, so I'd better not disturb her for now. I have to ask the cafeteria for some sushi rice..."

The sight of Sakura leaning on the hilt of the knife, spinning around in confusion with excitement, is not something you can see all the time.

But Mikael... He only used one sentence to easily shatter all her illusions in the most direct and least oblique way:

"Sakura, she hasn't returned to her original world yet."

"ah--"

Sakura's lips opened briefly, uttering a short syllable, and then quickly formed a straight line.

Although she was indoors, a cold wind came from nowhere, causing the hair on her forehead to slowly flutter. Even the pair of slender fox ears were like dogtail grass on the roadside, flowing smoothly from the middle. The direction of the wind is bent.

"What happened to her?"

Sakura's voice didn't tremble, just a hint of coldness.

This coldness may not be directed at anyone, but as the mood becomes slightly out of control, the binding force on one's own fusion factor suddenly decreases, so that the entire room is filled with frost-colored cold air.

Fortunately, there is no third person in this room except Mikael.

"Calm down, Sakura, nothing happened to Suzu."

"call……"

The cold air dissipated without a trace, and after letting out a breath of relief, Sakura's right hand heavily covered her heart.

In a very short period of time, she experienced jumping from earth to heaven, and then quickly falling from heaven to hell. Before her toes even touched the ground of hell, she was lifted up to heaven again by Mikael.

"Nothing happened at all?"

Sakura quickly asked again.

"Whether it's physical or psychological... well, there may be some minor problems. Staying in that environment for a long time will have some impact, but it won't reach the stage of 'irreversible damage'."

"Ha...that's good, that's good, that's good..."

Sakura breathed a sigh of relief again, and then repeated such a short word three times.

It's not that he doesn't believe Mikael, it's just that if "nothing happened at all", then why didn't Ling come back with Ymer?

She had always known that Mikael had hidden a lot from her on this matter, but she didn't care. The training she had received and the concepts she had been instilled had never required "knowledge".

The only thing she cared about was whether Ling would be hurt.

And she believed that Mikael would not hurt Ling, and she vaguely understood that the reason why Mikael did that was to prevent Ling from being hurt, and that was enough.

But now that Ling has not returned to the original world with Yimer, maybe it is because of some "small problems" that Mikael mentioned at the end?

Anyway, that's what she thought at the moment, although she was overturned by Mikael at the next moment.

"However, Ling did not return to the original world, and it has nothing to do with these 'small problems'."

"Um?"

Sakura smelled a hint of hesitation in Mikael's repeated words.

Furthermore, a "bad" premonition spread in her heart.

"Sakura, if you think you can accept it, no, no matter whether you can accept it or not, at this point, I will tell you the truth."

"Um……"

Sakura closed her eyes, just like a soldier preparing for the impact when a transport plane was shot down in mid-air and began to make an emergency landing.

"The reason why I brought Yimer, Klein and Ling to the world is because the three of them are qualified Herrschers. They can only escape from the quantum sea that is connected to imaginary numbers. The fate of being chosen by Honkai.”

When Mikael said this, Sakura fully understood what he meant.

"In other words, the reason why Yimer and Klein can come back is because the tenth and eleventh Honkai Impact have ended, while Suzu can't come back yet because the twelfth Honkai Impact has not yet started. ,Right?"

"Strong understanding."

Mikaelpi praised with a smile.

Ordinary people may take a long time to realize the impact of that sentence. They often do not immediately touch what Mikael wants to convey, but think about it first——

"Ah? Why do you know who is the suitable body for the Herrscher?"

Then it’s time to judge:

"real or fake?"

But Sakura directly skipped the above two processes. Mikael could see clearly that even Mei could not do this. She had indeed gone through the above two processes, but her reaction was unusually quick, and she acted almost as soon as the idea surfaced. Judgment.

But Sakura was different. She had no extra thoughts from beginning to end, she just accepted the message from Mikael, and then quickly found what he wanted her to understand, that's all.

If a Chinese language test were held within Fire Chaser, Sakura would probably be very good at reading comprehension—Mikael had no reason to think so.

"The information you gave was very straightforward."

Sakura smiled back.

In her opinion, the matter has been resolved so far. All that remains is to wait for the twelfth collapse to end and Suzu can return to her original world, right?

But today's reversal is destined to be much more special, or perhaps, not saying everything in one breath is an opportunity that Mikael gave Sakura to "slowly digest the information."

It's better to go step by step like this than to tell everything at the beginning and then explain everything to Sakura one by one, right?

"Things are not that simple..."

Mikael smiled bitterly and shook his head, and the ominous premonition in Sakura's heart that had not yet dissipated reappeared.

"Let's go."

"Um?"

Sakura looked at Mikael's hand stretched out to her in confusion.

Although I really want to hold it...but isn't this a bit too sudden...there are still so many doubts that have not been resolved...

Wait, where?

Seeing her hesitation and doubts, Mikael tried his best to smile naturally and explained:

"When I go to the world, there are some things that I not only need to tell you, but also Ling, and then you two sisters will make the choice together."

"The world is broken...but the quantum sea and my body seem to be mutually exclusive. Last time I..."

"It doesn't matter, this time we go directly into the world bubble. You may still feel some dizziness and vomiting, but you will get used to it gradually."

Sakura swallowed, took a deep breath to hold it, and then held Mikael's hand.

Is this the first time since Luluye?

The thought popped into her head.

wrong! Why is my mind filled with such thoughts now?

If she were asked to do reading comprehension now, I'm afraid she wouldn't be able to achieve the same sharp results as before.

She was already in a state of confusion before she knew it, but what exactly was it that disturbed her mood? Is it that lingering sense of foreboding? Or is it Mikael's constant reversal and straightforward and sincere words? Or something else? Or is it a mix of all the above?

"Relax."

Mikael's palms were warm and dry, without any dampness caused by sweat, while Sakura's palms were just the opposite.

He held Sakura's hand a little harder, and then... reminded him for the last time:

"Sakura, no matter what kind of decision you face next, or what kind of decision you have to make, before that, I hope you remember one thing."

Rather than making eye contact, Mikael is more willing to stare at other people's noses when talking to them. This will reduce a lot of oppression and offense, but will not make people feel absent-minded.

At least in Sakura's memory, except for the earlier assassination, it was unprecedented for Mikael to stare directly into her eyes like this.

It was precisely because of this that she was reminded even more that what she was going to face next was something serious.

Her heart began to beat rapidly, and this beating was driven to her limbs through her pulse. She could feel her fingertips beating with her heart, and Mikael could naturally feel it too.

"Relax, Sakura."

Mikael repeated again, but he did not relax his grip on Sakura's hand, but squeezed it inward more firmly.

"Sakura, you must remember that all the way up to now, no matter you and me, Alicia, Mei and Kevin, Su, Mebius, Hua, Pado, Qianjie, Velvet, Aponia , Kosmo and Destobia, the captain, Uncle Hen's family, Eden... We have long transcended the concept of comrades. We have supported each other until now, and it is not an exaggeration to call it 'family'. ,so……

"Ling is your sister and the sister of all of us. The next decision may be a bit cruel, but you must remember - be selfish!

"Yes, maybe Mei will tell you a lot of great truths about saving the world. That's why I want to remind you, although I also know that it may make it more difficult for you to make a choice. But since Ling is the sister of all of us , then your hesitation also represents the hesitation of all of us. Which choice do we prefer emotionally? If this is a matter that can be voted on democratically, you should understand what choice we will make.”

He felt that Sakura's pulse was so fast that it was almost connected to a line. She in turn squeezed Mikael's hand tightly, so hard that Mikael's fingers were almost twisted.

Mikael guessed wrong. Sakura's reading ability was not disturbed by complicated emotions. Even though he spoke a lot more cryptically this time, even because his own emotions could not be 100% firm, so in the narration There are many confusing places on it.

But what he wanted to express was still conveyed, and it was still 100% accepted by Sakura.

For some reason, he felt a sense of relief in his heart.

Perhaps, no one wants to be the one who makes the final decision.

He didn't want to, and neither did Mei.

Although from a humanitarian point of view, they are not qualified to do so, it is humane to let Sakura and Ling make their own choices.

But in a sense, this is also a transfer of responsibility.

The weight that was originally on their shoulders was now transferred to Sakura.

To be precise, it was on Sakura and Suzu, who might not even know it yet.

Compared to the original history, the two sisters at least had a chance to make a choice.

But many times, making choices is far more difficult than passively accepting the results.

Because the choice you make means that you are responsible for the possible results, and the simple results are due to the actions and responsibilities of others.

So this matter cannot even be captured in the simple sense of being good or bad.

Or, good and bad are never things that can be easily captured.

Oh, that’s right, what is good, what is bad, space, time and everything in this world have always been the definition of human beings’ giving.

"Close your eyes and relax."

Mikael reminded him for the last time.

Sakura abandoned all distracting thoughts and did as he said.

She soon felt dizzy like never before. Even if she was fired a hundred times by the Second God's Key, she would not feel this dizzy.

After all, the general function of the Second God Key is to cross space, but now they want to cross the world wall and the medium distributed in it, and reach a place where the distance between their existence and the original world far exceeds the concept of time itself.

Fortunately, the more deadly feeling of vomiting only appeared for an insignificant moment. Before she could even swallow her saliva, the feeling disappeared without a trace.

Finally, the soles of my feet felt like they were on the ground. Even though my legs were still a little weak, and even though it felt like the ground was rotating repeatedly like the drum of a washing machine, there was indeed something to step on.

Almost at the same time, she felt the whistling wind and the fragrance of flowers and vegetation.

"Okay, open your eyes."

What she saw was a sea of ​​white flowers, which was completely different from what she had imagined.

"This is freshly planted."

Mikael explained.

…………

"Uh...hey! Haha! Sister, you are here!"

Ling rubbed her eyes in disbelief, then jumped into Sakura's arms.

In fact, she was told early this morning that Sakura would come to visit her, but even if her emotions settled all morning, the moment she actually saw Sakura, she was still as happy as when she first heard the news.

"..."

Mikael glanced at Ellie and saw that she had disappeared silently when Sakura arrived, while Mei was leaning at the door of the conference room, with bright lights shining on her lenses, making it difficult to see her expression. .

"Sister, this place is quite big. I'll take you to the dormitory first!"

Ling took Sakura's hand and was about to leave, but she exerted a gentle force, and her sister, who used to keep up on her own, still stayed where she was and made no move.

Her palms were cold and damp, covered with sweat. Ling had never seen so much sweat in her sister's palms, because to ensure that she could hold the sword and go into battle at any time, Sakura's palms should have been kept dry at all times.

It happened to be at this moment that Mikael and Meiko coughed simultaneously.

Then the smile on Ling's face disappeared.

In fact, she had already had a hunch that her sister's visit might not be for a simple purpose. After all, since last night, whether it was "Dr. Mei No. 2" who almost never showed any unnecessary expressions, or "Dr. Mei No. 2" who was as passionate as the one she originally knew. Lissia Sister No. 2", all of them showed strange expressions to her.

Don't get me wrong, it's not hostility or rejection, it's...

mercy.

Therefore, she herself is not completely ignorant.

Sakura stood there, looking at Mei with an attitude that she didn't know what to do, and the other party also fell into a long silence.

It wasn't until a long time passed, which seemed to only last a few breaths, that Mikael's voice sounded from behind her, breaking the dry silence.

"At least they are much better than before."

This is what Mikael said to himself, and this is what he said to Mei.

Their eyes met silently, and then drifted apart silently.

"I guess... I don't need to introduce myself anymore, right?"

Mei showed an extremely ugly smile.

"Although from the definition of Mei itself, she and I are different individuals, but from the perspective of the entire human race, she and I are both individuals named Mei."

"Like a T-Rex and a chicken."

Ling stood by silently finishing the attack.

Mei shrugged her shoulders:

"It's not that simple, but if you find it easy to understand, please feel free to do so."

"Why don't you sit down and talk? Standing and talking is tiring."

Mikael was the first to take a step. He walked carelessly to the empty table, and then sat down on the leather armchair that had moldy spots.

Sakura pulled the bell and came to Mikael's side. This certainly did not mean that she trusted Mikael more than Mei. At least in her own perception, she believed that her trust in Mei and Mikael was equal. Yes, no tendency...

At least there is no obvious tendency.

The reason why she chose to sit next to Mikael was because of what he just said: "But you must remember - be selfish!"

Maybe this is a red-faced and white-faced drama, but she still hopes that the person she relies on can be warmer.

Of course she does not deny Mei's excellence as a leader, even if this Mei is the one the world has picked up, but compared to the cold rationality, the hesitation that Mikael has repeatedly tried to erase but still reveals inadvertently is somewhat more warm. Human touch.

However, perhaps this was a preconceived notion. With her observation skills, she naturally understood that Mei had also shown hesitation no less than three times in just the exchange of glances and words.

In addition, Mei just seemed to want to use the difference between herself and Mei from the original world to imply something, but she failed to understand it.

She still prefers Mikael's straightforward style of speaking:

"Your hesitation also represents the hesitation of all of us. Which choice do our emotions tend to favor? If this is a matter that can be voted on democratically, you should understand what choice we will make."

"Then, let's get started."

Mei sat across from the three of them silently and alone.

She tried to keep her face as cold as possible.

She also questioned herself in her heart. From an absolutely rational perspective, as an individual, she had almost no interactions with Sakura in her memory, and she didn't know about the existence of Ling. Why would she be soft-hearted and hesitant?

Is it because of the quantum entanglement between the self in the intrinsic world and herself?

But if it was her, she had pushed so many hopeful people onto the fatal operating table, the first one was even the person she loved the most.

She was secretly called a butcher and was even considered to be more terrible than Mobius. The so-called rational crazy person, would she still feel sad and guilty in her heart?

Think about it carefully, when she herself made the plan to use Ellie as bait to create an opportunity for Mikael to kill the Sixth Herrscher, Kevin's figure kept flashing in her mind...

In fact... the so-called rationality has always been just a misunderstanding, a misunderstanding of everyone, including herself?

No, it is indeed a misunderstanding, but a misunderstanding in another direction.

Growth is not a process of eliminating weakness and unnecessary sensibility, but a process of burying weakness and sensibility and showing strength and rationality as an external expression.

Because weakness and sentimentality, which are often classified as "bad qualities", can never be erased by humans.

Once they are erased, humans will always live for the sake of living, and humans can no longer be called humans.

These words sound familiar. If you think about it carefully, aren't they what Mikael says every day?

But... "I" have died a long time ago.

In any case, the future is the story of "another her".

"Then, let's start."

After she said this, she suddenly realized that she seemed to have repeated it.

In a complex thought, she abruptly repeated it again:

"Let's start."