The Fire-Chasing Herrscher Who Destroyed the World

It's raining, it's raining.

Dark clouds have lingered in this sky for a long time, and there are few clear days throughout the year. Silver threads as thin as cow hair cut through the dark purple cast by the dark clouds, and it tickled when they fell on the face. The wind that followed wiped away the weird touch and made people feel cold instead.

Standing on the top of the high-rise building in the ruins, it was clear that one step back would be a shelter from the rain, but Mikael preferred to stand in the rain.

The wind was getting stronger and stronger, and the crisscrossing wires and clotheslines were swaying in the wind and rain, whirring non-stop.

The TV antenna protruding from the top of the colorful container looks like a pair of hands trying to touch the deep space. Unfortunately, it has been broken by the wind, and only half of it is left. It seems that it was rebuilt along the way. lightning rod. But it was too long as a lightning rod, and could only sway helplessly in the increasingly strong wind, causing the entire container to make a weak "clang" sound.

From time to time, there is a "tick" sound coming from the yellow plastic ceiling. It is caused by the occasional large raindrops falling on it. Not to mention the plastic, these raindrops will also occasionally fall on the container, making a slightly crisper collision sound than the plastic one. .

This world is so quiet and yet so unquiet.

My heart was a little confused, like raindrops spinning and intertwining in mid-air.

Everything was going according to plan, even if there were some accidents in the middle, such as the feather that carried all her memories of herself fifty thousand years ago... some possibilities brought by it were also recognized by him. The Herrscher choked.

Well, that piece of feather and that memory have been completely integrated into the body of the Herrscher of Knowledge, and Hua has no chance to see it again. Even if the Herrcher of Consciousness dictates that memory to Hua in a redundant manner, it doesn't matter. There is still a difference between the memory spoken orally and the memory that truly exists in the heart. Although Hua may lose a part of himself forever, but that will always be the case. Compare……

However, if it comes to the end, maybe I can free up my hands to return that part of the memory to her before everything is over.

No, it's better not to do that. That memory will only bring her pain in the longer future.

Is this what I am worried about?

Mikael shook his head.

Or maybe it’s because of “father”’s narration.

It is not an exaggeration to compare his relationship with the Herrscher of Knowledge to that of a father and daughter, but is it necessary to say so? Apart from successfully causing some unnecessary misunderstandings, it seems that it really has no effect.

Is it because he and Mei are addicted to playing father-daughter pretending game?

Or is it that I unconsciously want to make up for past regrets.

The rain became slightly heavier.

But in the final analysis, no matter what meaningful or meaningless thoughts you have in your heart, what is truly meaningless is this act of getting wet in the rain.

Such behavior will get nothing but a cold and a fever - oh, for Mikael, not even a cold or a fever. This is a truly meaningless thing.

"Ah……"

There was an undisguised sense of prying eyes behind him. Mikael turned his head and met the eyes of two dirty, thin children with bandages on their bodies through the window.

The so-called window is actually an ordinary piece of glass embedded in a hole in the container. The windows were polished brightly, but most of the blue paint on the container peeled off, exposing the iron plate that was as rusty as osteoporosis. There is nothing we can do about it. It rains almost every day here and we have been soaked in water for many years. It would be strange if it didn't happen like this.

"hehe."

He smiled kindly, but the children closed the curtains in horror. Through the thin iron plate of the container, the sound of quickly escaping footsteps was too clear, and the smile on Mikael's mouth gradually froze in the cold rain.

"Hiss...am I so scary?"

By the reflection on the glass, Mikael silently looked at his smiling face.

No questions, no questions asked.

Back then, he used this smile to win Mei Yi's trust step by step.

What's the problem... It can't be that his temperament has been infected by the Herrscher of Consciousness.

"whispering sound."

Hearing the deliberately low footsteps behind him, Mikael gathered his rain-wet hair and turned around slowly.

"Lord, why are you here?"

The raven was a little shocked, as if he didn't expect Mikael to appear directly in front of the "nest" she built for the children.

"Does it make you nervous to see me like this? Besides, I still want to hear you call me teacher instead of Lord, Nata."

"Since I'm working for World Snake, I think it's better to do as the Romans do. Don't you like the title Lord? I feel much more handsome than 'teacher'."

"But even if you call me Lord every day, the reward will be whatever it is."

Pretending not to feel the raven's tense nerves, Mikael steered the topic on the right track:

"Have you found any trace of Raiden Mei and Kiana Kaslana?"

Strangely, when the task was mentioned, the tension surrounding the raven dissipated somewhat:

"Kiana has been found a long time ago. I thought that the overall Honkai Impact reaction in this city had reached an outrageous level, but the moment the girl appeared, the Honkai Impact reaction burst out, as if she was hit at night. Although it was only a short moment, it was enough to determine her location."

"How is it going?"

"When I arrived, she had already passed out. Of course she was not in a good condition, and the lines eroded by Honkai energy could already be seen on her body. I didn't touch her rashly. Raiden Mei seemed to have been teleported to a different place. , but... how should I say, she threw herself into a trap? Not long after noon, around one or two o'clock in the afternoon, she was brought here once by Xiao Kong, and not long after, she was brought here again. Xiaokong left. Xiaokong was relatively familiar with the environment of Changkong City. She must have asked her to go find Kiana together. The anti-entropy Helios transport ship was anchored in the south of Changkong City. The girl also made an appointment with the children. Okay, I’ll bring you a hot dinner from Helios when I come back in the evening.”

Hearing a somewhat familiar name, Mikael's eyes flashed and he asked knowingly:

"Xiao Kong? Is he also your adopted child?"

"Uh... I can't say adoption. It sounds like I'm old enough to be a mother..."

Standing in the gradually pouring rain, Raven pulled down the hood on his head, covering most of his face.

She didn't seem to want to talk about the children in front of Mikael, and quickly led the conversation elsewhere.

"Speaking of Lord, how did you expect those two girls to suddenly appear here this morning? It's too much of a coincidence. Or did you do some kind of 'interference'?"

"uh-huh?"

Mikael smiled and tilted his head, "Do you really want to know this? Or do you not want me to ask any more questions about these children?"

"All of them."

Raven's answer contained a hint of embarrassment in its frankness. But even so, she still insisted on continuing this topic.

"Then I won't tell you."

Mikael put his hands on his hips and wanted to snap his fingers crisply, but his fingers were soaked by the rain and he tried several times, but all he could make was a muffled sound.

"?"

Raven sighed deeply and unconsciously touched the mole at the corner of her mouth with her left hand. A visible fatigue surged through her body.

"Teacher, to be honest... I'm a little worried about your mental state."

Unconsciously, the title changed, which meant that the girl in front of him actually cared about him as Natasha.

But Mikael didn't think there was anything wrong with him.

"Huh? I have nothing to worry about."

"It's this tone of voice...Teacher...don't you think that you will become another person occasionally?"

"..."

Mikael did not answer. He silently wiped away the hair that was stuck to his forehead by the rain, and suddenly felt that these words sounded familiar, as if someone had said similar words not long ago——

"Ah! The tone of your words just now sounded like an antique!"

Also, did you make a "beep" sound just now?

Fortunately, it's not a serious problem, and he already knew about this kind of thing.

"Don't worry, I'm fine."

Mikael patted his head gently, but splashed water drops from his hair, which was no less hairy than Natasha's.

Now is not a good time for small talk. Even the wind and rain seem to be urging the two of them to end the conversation as soon as possible, becoming more and more urgent.

Mikael clapped his hands and seemed to wipe away the excess water stains from his palms.

"After this incident is over, let Gray Snake find a good place away from Honkai, and then pick up these children."

"Eh?"

Mikael turned sideways, and the curtains that were previously closed now had a crack. The breathing sounds of several children could be clearly heard even though they were separated by a steel plate and blocked by wind and rain.

"The conditions here are limited. If the children eat emergency foods such as compressed biscuits and self-heating rice that you bring for a long time, their bodies will be unable to bear it. Water source is also a problem. It rains here every day and most of the streets are flooded. But this is water containing Honkai energy radiation. In this case, it would be difficult to even boil some water for a bath, and it would be troublesome if it caused an infectious disease."

"Haha. I really didn't know that you, an old man, still have a side that cherishes your children."

The topic ended abruptly in Mikael's silence.

If it continues, even if the two people present deliberately avoid it, it will probably be difficult not to touch the Siberian snowfields more than ten years ago.

To this day, Natasha has understood that Mikael definitely had the power to save her brother at that time, but one person is never obliged to help another person unconditionally, and Raven does not feel that the price she paid is worth the reward of a life. , but at that time she had nothing that could be used as a bargaining chip.

It's not like Mikael didn't do anything. He at least gave his brother the best medical conditions that ordinary people can enjoy... So, was the man in front of him the murderer who indirectly killed his brother, or did he save them? Natasha couldn't tell the difference between brother and sister.

That's fine, talking about feelings is always less reliable than talking about rewards. This may be why she subconsciously prefers to use the title "Lord" instead of "Teacher".

"Thank you for your kindness. But with all due respect, teacher, can you please do this yourself..."

The title "teacher" was used again. Although the hood hid his eyes, the pleading meaning in it could be heard by anyone with normal emotional intelligence.

"I'm very busy..."

Having said that…

"Are you worried that once the Gray Snake takes over, the news will inevitably spread to other people in the World Snake, especially... Jackal? These incomplete Stigma Awakeners are really good for that guy Jackal Experimental material, but Gray Snake has also come into contact with these children before... Wait, do you want me to... Okay, I promise you."

The rain was already heavy enough to obscure the view. If the previous raindrops were just like cow hairs floating randomly in the sky, then the current rain is like a thick bead curtain, dividing the world into countless parts layer by layer. , and it also makes people who are face to face feel as if they are separated by countless worlds.

The moment Mikael agreed to this request, a large cloud of white steam came out of the raven's mouth. While the whole person relaxed, the rare closeness and pleading to Mikael that he had to fake before also dissipated. .

This result is really not surprising, and Mikael thinks... this is not bad.

He silently retreated under the shack. The plastic baffle blocked the dripping rain, but occasionally when the wind suddenly became stronger, some raindrops would still splash in.

Like a woman, Mikael pushed her hair to one side with both hands and twisted it hard. As the moisture seeped out, the power of the Seventh Herrscher was activated, and her body became dry again, but her clothes still smelled wet and musty.

Tie your long hair into a bun at the back of your head. Is this obviously only the second time...or is it the third time you have done this? But the technique has become quite skillful.

He just did his thing slowly and slowly, as if Natasha and the dozen children in the container behind him didn't exist.

Great, keep it that way.

There was a voice in my heart telling myself this.

First it was Mei, then Seele, then Mebius, then Hua, and now even the last relationship was severed.

Now, I am finally alone again.

The next short section is a distance that cannot be seen in the entire 50,000-year timeline, so you can walk it alone.

There is no unaccustomed feeling as imagined, both body and mind seem to feel that this is how it should be. And that's exactly how it should be.

"Aren't you here to take shelter from the rain? Or go in and take care of the children? Even if you wear a raincoat, it's still uncomfortable just standing in the rain."

"It's okay. This is a common thing when doing tasks. I've already gotten used to it."

Mikael nodded and did not mention the topic of shelter from the rain again.

As for the raven's wariness towards his "employer", he didn't care at all. If she were elsewhere, like when she was in Changkong City before, she had never shown this attitude. The reason why she was like this was probably because this was the "nest" she built for her children.

In the plan, they shouldn't meet here.

In other words, Mikael's sudden appearance here was somewhat of a warning and provocation, which forced the raven to respond to him with the same attitude. But he knew all this clearly in his heart.

If there was any surprise, it was... despite such vigilance, she still chose to entrust these children to him. After all, he was the only person in the world who could cure these children. Human beings are indeed the most contradictory creatures.

"After this mission is over, you can actually choose to take the money and leave, and then join Anti-Entropy or Destiny. Although your resume is not clean, in this special period, they will not abandon an infinitely close S Super Valkyrie. In this way... you can be exempted from guilt due to your contribution in the future trial."

?

"I really can't stand it!"

Natasha lamented and took off her hood. The rain suddenly soaked her hair, but she walked under the plastic baffle in two or two steps and stood next to Mikael.

"Teacher, don't you think this is a problem - you always use the calmest voice and say the most scary things. Have you considered the feelings of the listener in post-war trials and the like? Sometimes it really does I wonder if I heard the wrong thing."

"..."

What's going on? What's the problem? It seems different than expected.

"If you are considering the problems of these children, you can wait until I cure them and then take them away with you. But in this case, the only choice you can make is reverse entropy."

"Well, this is indeed one of the reasons. Anyway, help me dry my hair first, teacher."

"...Then why are you getting wet?"

Things were once again out of control. Although he didn't understand what went wrong, it seemed that he could only accept it.

A ball of fire was lit in his hand, and Nata's hair was quickly dried. Although she felt that the other party's behavior was unreasonable and unnecessary, she couldn't leave it alone as it was wet.

Not long ago, she was wrapped in the cold wind and rain, but now her whole body was warmed up again. Under the alternation of hot and cold, Natasha suddenly shivered, and a "sneeze" made Mikael's nose feel itchy. .

After sneezing, Natasha's voice became a little dull.

"The children are my weak spot. If you had just agreed to take the money and leave, you might not have tried your best to save them. And... the reward you gave is too much. My annual reward is 1000 yuan." Twenty times the annual allowance plus bonus, there will be no such store after this village. As for the post-war trial, let’s wait until after the war.”

"..."

Mikael was speechless for a moment. He could only hear a sense of coping from Natasha's words.

She didn't tell the truth, Mikael knew it of course.

He had also thought of these reasons, but because of this, when these reasons became lies, he couldn't understand why Natasha wanted to stay.

Perhaps it was just a kind of inertia.

He couldn't understand Natasha's decision, maybe just like those people in the past who couldn't understand that "an object without force can be in uniform linear motion."

"Teacher, you seem to know how bad a person can become."

Natasha's words were incoherent, and Mikael didn't understand what she wanted to express, just quietly waiting for the next words.

"But you don't... Forget it, let's consider a more realistic problem - it's raining so hard, according to Mei's personality, even if she wants to continue looking for Kiana, she will definitely choose to send Xiaokong back first. Don't you want to avoid it? I don't think you are good at dealing with this kind of thing."

"Although I don't know why you are so confident that I am not good at dealing with this kind of thing, but..."

Mikael slowly raised his hand and pointed to the stairs in the distance:

"They are back."

Natasha's eyes followed Mikael's finger and saw Mei holding up her coat with her arms, covering Xiaokong in her arms, and walking up the stairs carefully step by step.

In a few days, we will enter the penultimate volume. Before that, we will wait for Shibao to come back with the old antique from a long distance.