The Fire-Chasing Herrscher Who Destroyed the World

It was another dreamless night - when Hua opened her eyes and faced the familiar ceiling, such meaningless thoughts inexplicably popped up in her mind.

Her body was slightly tired, but this was not a side effect of strenuous exercise the day before. Rather, that kind of thing did not exist at all. It was just that her old arms and legs, even if there was nothing wrong from a physiological point of view, the changes in hormone secretion caused by a long time would make her body regard herself as an "old man". Therefore, it was not unreasonable to occasionally feel backache, or even weakness and listlessness in the limbs.

It was not a big problem. Hua had long been accustomed to such days. She got off the bed with a slightly slow movement and simply stretched twice - this was to use painful deformation to force the body to admit the fact that she was still young.

When the muscles and bones "crackled" and moved, the feeling of old age due to muscle stiffness and osteoporosis disappeared without a trace. Hua stretched again and then turned her head to look at the bed.

The sheets on one side of the bed were scattered, but the other side still maintained its original appearance.

"Didn't you come back last night?" Hua blinked. Perhaps because she got up earlier than usual, her eyes were a little sore and she drooped unconsciously. She simply put on a piece of clothing, folded the quilt by herself, smoothed the sheets by herself, washed herself by herself, and then sat in front of the mirror silently. Just alone. Doing everything for yourself should be something that cannot be more familiar. But today, I don't know what happened. Facing the messy and even frizzy long hair after a night of dreams, Hua was too lazy to pick up the comb in front of the mirror. She just combed it with her fingers twice casually, and wanted to end this tedious and boring process. "Bang--" There were sporadic explosions outside the window. Hua's hands trembled, and she didn't know when her long nails scratched shallow blood marks on her scalp. The pain made Hua sober up a little. She suddenly thought that today was the last day of the year in the Chinese lunar calendar, in short, New Year's Eve. Time always flows uncontrollably in places where no one notices, and flows unswervingly to unknown places. The longer she was lost in the long river of time, the weaker her perception of time became. However, at such a critical "node", Hua felt that she should still take it seriously.

But then she was stunned again.

One year... The end of a year did not seem to be important to her.

An ordinary person could not live for 50,000 days in his entire life, but she had lived for a long 50,000 years without knowing it, so long that she could not even remember the fraction after 50,000.

If the time axis is shortened, a year for her is shorter than a day for an ordinary person.

But in any case, the past year was indeed an extremely important year. This is true for both her and the whole world.

The awakening time of the Second Herrscher was actually quite short, but with its powerful power, it still caused a large number of secondary disasters throughout the world: tsunamis that engulfed small islands, sudden earthquakes and volcanic eruptions, and a sudden drop in global temperatures... Oh, the last point was crossed out, which just helped humans solve the problem of climate warming that they had been troubled by.

Of course, there is also the most direct one - the number of abnormal events related to collapse has increased exponentially.

This is also the reason why, in the past two months, no matter whether it is Destiny, Anti-Entropy, Taixu or World Snake, it seems that no one has pursued the responsibility for the battle at the Destiny headquarters - in order to have a good New Year, no matter which organization it is, all resources have been invested in solving those abnormal events.

But so many abnormal events also mean that the information blockade for the public has reached its limit. Various videos of encountering Honkai beasts are spreading wantonly on the Internet - including the meteor video of the night in Tianqiong City. The things in the comment area can be imagined. But whether to disclose the truth of Honkai to the public is a topic that at least the leaders of the three organizations of Destiny, Taixu and Anti-Entropy need to discuss simultaneously.

Of course, Hua doesn't need to worry about it at the moment. The responsibility of Shenzhou now falls on Su Shang's shoulders. That child she can be said to have grown up. On the surface, he looks impetuous, but he is still reliable in major events. If she intervenes forcefully, it will increase her pressure.

Moreover, Hua has experienced such a thing once in the distant past. She... can't say that she is a little scared, but... she doesn't want to experience it again.

However... there are many abnormal events, but the consciousness of the second Herrscher has now calmed down. The number of abnormal events should not continue to increase sharply in the short term, unless a new Herrscher appears again. In this way, it is only a matter of time before these events are completely cleared. By that time, I am afraid that everyone will have to...

Seeing the long hair of the person in the mirror become smooth again, Hua picked up the hairband on the table and planned to tie up the small braid on the left temple first.

"It's not your style to just do it hastily, Hua. And you shouldn't use this hairstyle today."

In stark contrast to the sound of firecrackers, this sudden voice from behind her did not scare her. On the contrary, when the voice sounded, a stone in her heart fell to the ground.

Before she could say anything, she felt someone hugged her from behind.

The warm breath rubbed her earlobe, and a hand went around her body and took the wooden comb in front of the mirror.

"It's a little late, but there's still time to move quickly. Leave it to me."

In the bright mirror, Hua saw her pupils trembling slightly. She controlled her gaze and looked up. Mikael noticed her gaze and deliberately tapped his chin on her head, looking at the reflection in the mirror. She smiled.

"Actually... there's no need to go to such trouble. I haven't appeared in public for a long time. As expected this time, I just attended the 'family banquet' and chatted with a few apprentices. There's no use..."

"No, this time is different."

Even though Mikael interrupted her so directly, Hua just pouted slightly, then slowly closed her eyes, enjoying the feeling of the fine comb teeth grazing her scalp with just the right force.

"Today is different from the past. People are panicking all over the world, and the most difficult thing for people to accept is that that guy Otto just published two boring articles on such important days as Christmas and New Year's Day. speech without any response to the doubts.”

"So, what does this have to do with us?"

"have."

Hua Momo opened his eyes, only to see Mikael's ferocious posture with clenched teeth.

"Qiang——"

The seat made a harsh sound on the wooden floor. Hua stood up suddenly, turned around and held Mikael's face.

"Are you OK."

Gently rubbing it with cold fingers, the tense muscles were digested like ice cubes.

Mikael's expression returned to calm, but he did not say anything immediately. Instead, he took Hua's hands and put them under his armpits to warm them before returning them.

Hua's brows furrowed slightly, and there was a smile on his face, but not much.

She quickly sat back in front of the mirror under Mikael's fiddling. The sound of firecrackers in the yard outside the house became intensive for a while, like an alarm that disturbed a clear dream, but it was also mixed with the Herrscher of Knowledge and Pa A cheerful laugh.

Hua took a deep breath, but still felt a little dull. She had already guessed what Mikael was going to say next.

"Hua, do you still remember how our civilization was destroyed?"

"Of course I won't forget it."

Mikael stopped combing his hair, and the two looked at each other through the mirror again. In just a short moment, Hua saw the unshakable determination through Mikael's firm eyes.

"I see."

Mikael's hands moved again.

"Then...don't we need to know about destiny and anti-entropy? Can we act alone?"

"Didn't Su Shang just come back from Destiny? Although I haven't intervened yet, with Otto's determination, he should understand what is most important at this moment. The World Snake will also cooperate with your work to minimize the pressure of public opinion. . As for the anti-entropy, they are probably the most opposed to the information blockade of the people, and with Mei on their side, I don’t think it’s a big problem.”

"As long as you have an idea of ​​what to do, I also know what to do. Now I just hope that with my name as Immortal Red Kite, I can live up to my words and deeds on the land of China..."

Hua sighed softly, silently enjoying the warmth of this moment.

"sorry."

Even though his eyes were closed, Hua Neng could imagine what Mikael looked like now - he must have furrowed his brows into a splayed figure, with a little apology in his eyes, biting his lower lip with his tiger teeth, and breathing deeply and slowly.

"I shouldn't say this at this time. It's... very disgraceful."

"Not really."

Hua pursed her lips and wanted to shake her head, but was afraid of affecting Mikael.

"Precisely because you are the Mikael I like, you will definitely say such things at this time. If I can't even accept this, then I may not be qualified to say that I like you."

"...Your words...sound like Mebius's tone."

Hua rarely showed a clear and unhappy look on his face.

Knowing and being able to accept some things does not mean that you can accept them happily and willingly.

"Okay, okay, let's not talk about this anymore. Do you still remember Raiden Mei? I sent her to the paradise of the past. Didn't you see the way she called Mebius's memory 'mother'? I haven't seen her for a long time. Seeing that Mebius lost control of her expression, luckily I went back to remind her later, otherwise there would have been no need for Mei to do anything, and our past would have been revealed by Mebius. "

After thinking about it, Mikael couldn't hide his embarrassment and could only change the topic a little stiffly. However, after so many years, there is still some progress - at least he no longer blushes and is in a hurry. His expression has not changed at all, and the movements of his hands have not stopped at all, that is...

Hua had his eyes closed, so even if he really blushed, Hua couldn't see it.

"The Elysian Realm..."

"...After so many years, I thought you had forgotten the lingua franca of our time."

"Don't dare forget."

"..."

"Alicia will be very happy."

"Um?"

"A person who became a Herrscher but maintained his humanity. This is Alicia's gift to the world. It's a pity that the real her can't see this future, but if it is a memory that knows the truth about itself, seeing Mei Such a Herrscher, and then hear the story of the First Herrscher, Kiana, and even the Herrscher of Knowledge from Mei's mouth who shouted "Kill the collapse" when she was born, Alicia will definitely So happy.

"And, this is also her wish - 'If there will be Herrschers in the future, if they can be as free as you and I, please let me know, okay? I will be very happy!', yes Bar?"

"Yes……"

Mikael struggled to squeeze these two words out of his mouth, and then hurriedly began to pull up Hua's hair.

"I...Alicia has saved me many times."

Hua suddenly started talking about something completely unrelated.

"How many times...twice when we were in Canghai City, three times while wandering from the Fire Chasing Moth Base to the Golden Courtyard, six times when we were on a mission together...perhaps even counting the last time, if she hadn't The Twelfth Herrscher has seized power and handed it over to you. Those in our headquarters will probably not be spared."

Hua memorized the numbers calmly, but he didn't have the feeling of counting treasures that most people who have experienced it would have when recalling the past.

"In my heart, Alicia has always been a senior and comrade worthy of admiration and trust. Moreover, with her character, it's hard for anyone to hate her. It's just...just...after all, there is one thing, I think she did something wrong."

Mikael inserted a hairpin with a simple pattern into his gray bun, then bit his lower lip and listened silently to Hua's words.

In fact, you may not need to listen, as Hua always knows what he is going to say next, and vice versa.

"She was such a kind person, but at the end of her life, she made an extremely cruel decision. Mikael, do you understand what I mean?"

"..."

How could Mikael not understand.

Through the power of consciousness, he shared with Hua that past that he never wanted to mention, and he naturally understood what she was talking about.

From Hua's standpoint, she certainly wasn't talking about Alicia taking away his opportunity to complete the cocoon of the end. Rather, regardless of other things, Alicia chose to let Mikael, who watched her disappear, face the future alone, and left behind "a vow to support him no matter what he does and not to blame him." .

The most important thing is that she left the beauty of humanity in Mikael's body, so that even if he maintained a posture without a heart for a long time, he could not give up the emotions of being a human being.

Although she needs to thank Alicia for this, in any case, this is indeed too cruel for Mikael himself.

But……

"Hua, didn't we agree... not to talk about this again?"

There was no blame in Mikael's words. He just used the power of fire to heat his palms and then gently applied them to Hua's eyes.

"I'm not blaming her, Mikael, I... forget it. I won't mention it again."

Hua realized that he couldn't hold it back after all and had crossed the tacitly agreed boundary between him and Mikael.

Because I am unwilling...

But that's not important.

"Since you asked me to publish those, it means...Mikael, the last day you collected your answer sheets..."

"Today... well, do as the Romans do. According to China's calculation, it will be next year."

Hua never made a sound again, but just grasped every minute and every second of this moment, enjoying the warmth that he could still enjoy now.

"I'm sorry, Hua. In the end, I have to hand over such a cruel fate to you... Even for humans, after a very short period of time, you will have to face the unknown future alone. Although I really want to say, There will still be many people accompanying you, but I said this 50,000 years ago, and it makes no sense. However, the Herrscher of Knowledge is a special existence, and she should be able to continue living with you. "

"..."

Hua's lips were separated by a certain distance, but no sound came out.

Whenever you want to say something but can't say anything, you will realize the weakness of language.

In the end, Hua's lips were slightly raised, and she said half helplessly, half reluctantly:

"Didn't you agree not to mention these things?"

Mikael smiled slightly and put down his hands.

Hua took the opportunity to open his eyes, wanting to treat Mikael's current smile as his last smile and treasure it in his memory forever.

"Then again, Mikael, is it really okay to announce those things today? I think, maybe... will it disturb everyone and make it difficult to live in peace during the New Year?"

"Hmm... This is something I didn't think carefully about. It's up to you to decide. Tianming and Anti-Entropy are just casual notifications."

Hua raised her lower lip, closed her eyes again, thought for a moment, and finally shook her head.

"No matter. There are always excuses. Don't say it today, New Year's Eve, tomorrow, New Year's Day, and don't say it the day after tomorrow when it's a holiday. In the end, it becomes tomorrow after tomorrow, and there are so many tomorrows. Besides, we Not releasing the information does not mean that people will not be anxious about it. This year will not be enjoyable no matter what, except for the two heartless people outside. But if we release the collapse information, at least many people will feel it. It will also be more practical - at least the people guarding us are not ignorant of this anomaly, at least they have been trying their best to protect us from this anomaly. For most people, perhaps the first reaction is this A sense of security, maybe?”

The noisy firecrackers set off Dehua's slight voice, but the more so, the more mature and solemn it feels.

Mikael closed his eyes with relief, leaned down, and hugged Hua from behind.

His face was close to Hua's cheek and he said softly:

"I hope this different choice can bring different results."

"Um."

Hua responded hurriedly, then closed her eyes again, and moved her lips upward again, as if she was expecting something.

But nothing really happened.

Mikael just tightened his arms for a moment, and then quickly released them. He raised his hands to rub her long hair again, but looking at his bun, he smiled bitterly and turned to help Hua Push your thick bangs to one side.

Feeling the soft hair flowing away from his palm, until finally there was nothing to hold, Mikael laughed silently.

I wanted to say something, but in the end I swallowed the apology I had repeated twice.

People will find excuses to indulge themselves all the time, but occasionally they need to be sensible - although sometimes they just think they are sensible.

He patted Hua's shoulder lightly, quickly walked around the screen, and opened the door with a "swish".

The sound of firecrackers became louder, and what was heard at the same time was the increasingly dense smell of gunpowder.

The sounds of Michael and Pado joking soon came from the yard. No matter what time, Pado was still clinging to him as always, even though she was no longer the ignorant kitten.

Occasionally, the disdainful voice of the Herrscher of Knowledge would be heard. She was the one who had the most fun just now, but now she still pretended not to care. I don't know if she inherited her father's or mother's lack of frankness.

Suddenly, Padu and the Herrscher of Knowledge screamed together. It was Mikael who gave the New Year's money in advance - he directly threw a handful of shining gems into the air. That was Padu's favorite thing, the Law of Knowledge. Although she doesn't understand, she will definitely join in the excitement.

After a while, Su Shang also shouted loudly at the excitement, and she didn't know what gift Mikael gave her.

As he listened, the corners of Hua's mouth that had sunk with regret rose again.

She really couldn't explain it. She was so quiet, but just listening to the noisy sounds of a few people made her feel happy from the bottom of her heart.

It's just... regret is still regret after all.

She has experienced too many regrets, and on second thought, it would be nice to get to this point before everything ends.

At least, she could accompany him for the last part of the journey, and then, she could... bury him and the lengthy memory with her own hands.

At 8 o'clock that night, China time, when the Spring Festival Gala was supposed to be broadcast, a guest blessing that was not included in the rehearsal was inserted for the first time. That was the first time that Immortal Red Kite, who had been guarding China for thousands of years, appeared in front of the people of China in this way, but what she said, except for the last sentence, had nothing to do with New Year's greetings.

Mikael's comment on this was - "I heard that no one has watched the Spring Festival Gala in the past few years. Is the director trying to pay Hua?"

At 9:03 that night in China time, Walter, the leader of the Anti-Entropy Alliance, gave an emergency speech through CNN, affirming all the content about "Hengkai" released by Red Kite Immortal on China Central Television an hour ago, and promised to release it on the next day. Before 12 noon today, some information about Honkai in the Anti-Entropy Archives will be released.

At exactly 8 a.m. GMT the next morning, Archbishop Otto Apocalypse of Destiny, who had maintained silence for twenty hours, directly updated the public content in the Destiny database and issued a two-hour "confrontation" Honkai Declaration of War."

Hundreds of billions of epochs have passed since the disaster called Honkai came to this world. Countless civilizations are like bubbles floating in the pond, dying and resurrecting, but as the only known civilization in this world, In this entire existence, this is the first time He has received a declaration of war from mankind.

There was never a moment of sadness for Mikael, and what followed was the penultimate volume of this book!