Collapse 3: The girl who chased the fire moth

The middle-aged man scratched his head and said.

"My name is Melutina."

Melutina said.

"Oh, oh...my name is Ryusuke."

Ryusuke said,

"This kind of thing is not easy to mobilize the people who chase the flames, right? One more person is more powerful."

"...do you really know what it means to go to the Reston border to find someone?"

Melutina frowned and asked.

"... There are always some things that cannot be left alone."

Ryusuke probably understood what she meant, he pressed Joachim's head and said,

"I am over 50 years old, and it has been several years since my daughter died. She has been saving people all her life, and I heard that she died because of saving people in the end. As a father, I cannot fall behind my daughter."

"...Mr. Ryusuke."

Melutina changed her honorific name,

"Flame Moth is really short of manpower in the search, and I will be responsible for protecting you. Although I don't think bringing you and Joachim will help my search, but my brother also died to protect me, which I still can't let go of.

I know that some things cannot be compromised, and I have not deprived you of the right to choose. "

"Miss Melutina...is she a combatant? But I heard..."

"I heard that the fusion fighters basically died in the No.11 Honkai, right?"

Melutina asked.

"Sorry, I was too rude about this question."

Ryusuke realized something, and quickly lowered his head and said.

"Re-introduce yourself."

Melutina took off her big beret, revealing her black horns,

"I am Melutina. Moth Chasing Flame, Thirteen Heroes, ninth place, Melutina of [Purgatory]. I swear by my deceased friend, I will protect you and return here safely."

"Thirteen Yingjie..."

Ryusuke opened his mouth wide, and just when Melutina was ready to accept his surprised compliment, he said,

"Why did Thirteen Yingjie come to shout slogans?"

"..."

Melutina choked on this question,

"Uh, uh...they, they don't agree with me eating rice at the base."

Chapter No.17 Dead Man

"Miss Melutina, what exactly is Honkai?"

Looking at the desolate scene in front of him, Longsuke couldn't help asking.

"I remember that Dr. Mei should have explained it through official channels, because human civilization was born, destroyed civilization, and then became stronger... a natural phenomenon."

Melutina was used to this, her expression didn't change at all.

"That is to say... is this a punishment from God?"

Longsuke murmured.

"Not necessarily. A Herrscher once said that the so-called theology is just the omnipotent self in human imagination. Even if it is God's punishment, it is not so much that that existence is a god, it is better to say that it is some unknown thing."

Melutina shook her head,

"Or, it's a system, a phenomenon. It's too much to take for granted to speculate on it in the form of a human being, assuming that it's a living thing."

"...It doesn't sound like a combatant said that."

Ryusuke was dumbfounded, he never knew that the frontline personnel of Chasing Flame Moth were so insightful.

"I have a Ph.D. in Biology from Metis University, and you can trust my academics."

Melutina glanced at him,

"In other words, I am a fusion fighter who was born as a researcher. As a researcher who was once powerless, you should not expect too much of my combat power. Therefore, for my safety and yours, please proceed carefully."

"Okay, okay... Well, as a reference, how strong is the Honkai beast that Ms. Melutina can deal with?"

Longsuke asked.

"Hmm... I'm probably a little bit stronger than the emperor class?"

Melutina gave a pinky thumbs up.

"It's strong enough, it's worthy of being a fusion fighter."

Ryusuke seemed relieved.

"..."

If Thirteen Yingjie was really like this, then the human race would have been wiped out long ago.

Of course Melutina would not say such words.

"Then, my dear Joachim, where did your sister get separated from you?"

Melutina turned her head and asked.

"Just around here... this dilapidated building..."

Joachim pointed to the half collapsed building next to him.

"That's far from..."

Melutina wanted to say that it was quite far from the urban area, but a somewhat familiar atmosphere made her slightly startled.

"What's wrong?"

Longsuke asked.

"...The remaining Houkai energy is not normal."

Melutina reached out and touched the wall,

"It seems... more than the emperor level."

"Not only the emperor level?!"

Ryusuke shivered a bit.

"Why is it here, isn't this a very marginal area?"

"Honkai Beast will be attracted by the strong Honkai energy, and I'm afraid it's the big guys from other regions who are attracted all the way."

Melutina withdrew her hand, looked at the Hoonkai energy remaining in the dust on her hand, her expression changed slightly,

"...Could it be, Vishnu? Joachim, did something happen to your sister and you on the way out?"

"Huh? No, even if you ask me that...it seems like she was attacked by the Houkai Beast, and my sister was injured a little bit."

Joachim froze for a moment, then scratched his head and said.

"What? Was attacked by the Houkai Beast... After being injured by the Houkai Beast, is there no problem with the wound?"

Melutina sensed something was wrong.

"Huh? No, no... What's the problem?"

Joachim froze.

"...Generally speaking, humans who are attacked by Houkai beasts will become dead soldiers."

Melutina said seriously,

"If this doesn't happen, there are only two possibilities. The first is that your sister's resistance to Houkai is far superior to that of ordinary people. The second is that the body mutation has happened long ago, but you didn't notice it."

"……what does that mean?"

Of course, Joachim could not accept this reply.

"The reason why Vishnu was attracted here is probably because there is a dead man with a lot of Houkai energy here. Vishnu can gain power through devouring it. The dead individual has completed evolution."

Melutina tried her best to avoid words that directly stimulated Joachim.

"...is the rescue pointless?"

Ryusuke understood, he turned his head and said.

"Well... we don't have any reason to save a dead man."

Melutina put her hand on Joachim's shoulder,

"You must go back with me now. Your sister is dead, and the most important thing now is that you need to live."

"Do not make jokes!"

Joachim struggled frantically,

"You are lying to me! You are afraid of that Honkai Beast that made up this lie to lie to me! You are simply afraid, my sister is fine, she will not..."

"Rumble..."

Just as Joachim was cursing, the roar in the distance made several people startled.

"It has already begun."

Melutina's eyes turned into vertical pupils, and she saw the huge Houkai beast in the distance,

"You have to follow me now... what are you doing? Mr. Ryusuke, do you know what you are doing?"

Joachim rushed out when he heard the sound, but Melutina, who wanted to reach out and grab him, was stopped by the man next to him.

Of course, Melutina could just throw off this man and go after him, but before that, she needs a reason.

"It's the same with my daughter..."

Ryusuke said with firm and despairing eyes,

"Please give them one last chance to meet! Whether the girl is a monster or not"

Chapter 18 Whose Epitaph

"Regret...do you..."

Melutina silently looked at the pierced Joachim in the distance. He seemed to want to protect the dead demon god behind him, but was pierced from behind.

"Either side is a choice."

Melutina blocked Vishnu's attack and pulled away the fatally wounded child,

"And every choice has meaning."

(Adapted from Xia Youjie in "Spells Return")

"Roar...roar..."

"Longsuke, take him away, this guy is not only emperor-level, but also not only judge-level..."

Melutina looked at the boy who was not yet an adult, but unexpectedly, she didn't show much emotion.

"..."

"...Is this your choice?"

Melutina silently looked at the man who met the demon dead man, but she still didn't stop her.

Why?

Put the life that could have been saved, and do nothing twice.

that is because……

"Even if we save them, what we are waiting for is regret and the coming doomsday."