Chapter 49: [Fourteen Flame Chaser]

[Since that day, you have never left the "cage" of "The Deepest Place." You were even ordered not to leave. Even if Mobius came to you to do experiments, you had to stay in the "cage," and you couldn't stay for long. The Fire Moth was worried that you and Mobius would discuss some escape plan.]

[After all, after Klein's death, Mobius became more and more "crazy," and her interest in you reached a "fanatical" level. Fire Moth was very worried that Mobius would release you directly in order to study you or to do some special experiment.]

[Even when Elysia and Sakura come to visit you, they have to apply in advance to enter the "cage." In other cases, they can only meet you through the observation window... It can be said that you are being guarded against in all aspects by the Fire Moth.]

[This kind of wanton suspicion is really... disgusting.]

[However, at this stage, the Fire Moth still doesn't want to deal with you directly. After all, Mobius and Mei both said that you are very valuable for research, and Elysia, Sakura, and Kevin are also guaranteeing you, and said that as long as you show any abnormality, the three of them are willing to act as pioneers and come... to attack you.]

[So, you settled down in the "Deepest Place"... Come to think of it, there were countless criminals and "failures" imprisoned in the "Deepest Place" before, but now it is only used to imprison you, which is a bit funny.]

[Although you are more or less accustomed to the dim and depressing environment of the "Deepest Place" due to your experience in the deep sea, this closed room still makes you feel mentally stressed. In addition, Vill-V comes to perform magic shows with you from time to time, and the noisy atmosphere makes you feel a little irritated.]

[But you didn't complain. After all, you could feel that Villl-V's ideas and starting point were good. She hoped that her performance could relieve some of your pressure and release her own desire to perform... So when she was performing, you would also applaud a little at the end, as a way of expressing your attitude.]

[As for whether you watched her magic show or not... you don't care, and neither does Vill-V. She performs and you applaud, that's all. You should know that Vill-V also has the responsibility of "monitoring" you.]

[Aponia, who was originally used as "insurance," went to "take care" of Griseo.]

[Elysia and Sakura will come to visit you when they are free. Although you all know that this is an arrangement by the Fire Moth to calm your emotions, you no longer care. After all, you already understand the choice of the Fire Moth. It is normal to imprison a dangerous person, a person who is suspected to be a "Herrschers."]

['Everything is for humanity'—you think so.]

[It's just that more or less... you still have some complaints, right? But you just suppressed them in your heart.]

['At least we can't make it difficult for them'—you convince yourself.]

[For you now, as long as you can still be with them, as long as you can see them again... this is enough.]

[As the days passed, more and more things happened inside the Fire Moth.]

[Based on your physical data and the experience of Kosma, who had a similar situation before, Mobius developed an ability called "Artificial Honkai." This ability can allow fusion warriors to gain even greater strength. The price is that they will completely become "non-human" and show a posture of "Honkai." And if they don't have a strong enough consciousness, they may very likely... completely become "Honkai creatures" and never be able to return to human form.]

[This ability is undoubtedly dangerous, but it was eventually accepted by the Fire Moth. After all... the Fire Moth needs this power now.]

[As for fusion warriors, Mei also has a new research result—"META-MORPH reagent," which is the final product of the "mass production of fusion warriors plan." Although the "fusion warriors" produced in this way cannot be compared with the original ones, and even need a near-death battle to stimulate the "super mutation factor," this method at least will not cause people to die directly during the operation.]

[With the addition of the mass-produced "Divine Key" made with the "Tenth Herrscher Core," the core strength of the Fire Moth was replenished, and the war against Honkai was stabilized for a while. Although it is impossible to take back the land occupied by Honkai, at least it can ensure that the existing cities will not be invaded by Honkai.]

[Later, Elysia also proposed the "Three-man Squad Plan," which was a proposal based on the excellent group combat of the "Tenth Herrscher." The fusion warriors were divided into three teams to fight and get to know each other, so as to improve the combat effectiveness of the fusion warriors against Honkai. This would also allow new fusion warriors to get familiar with their own strength faster and bring them closer to each other.]

[Because the existing number of fusion warriors has reached the scale of a military due to the "mass production plan," the Fire Moth agreed to this plan and began small-scale testing.]

[The final effect is naturally gratifying. The three fusion warriors cooperate with each other to fight the Honkai, especially the high-threat Honkai beasts, which is very beneficial. They can basically maintain suppression throughout the whole process, and there are no casualties... The only problem is that a small number of people will have some "small problems."]

[For example, Aponia always says some strange things and persuades his teammates to "become enlightened," and Su cares about the mental state of his teammates... This is nothing; it's just that he cares too much.]

[What's even more troublesome is Nozomi... Yes, Nozomi has also become a fusion warrior. He always wreaks havoc during combat, which ultimately delays the mission time... This gives many people a headache.]

[When Sakura told you this, you didn't know how to comfort her. After all, you weren't even considered a "fusion warrior" by the Fire Moth. You were just a "prisoner"... Therefore, you could only hug her gently and comfort her with your slightly clumsy eloquence.]

[At this time, Sakura would like you to touch her ears, and then stay in your arms and rest quietly... This way her stress can be relieved.]

[But fortunately, situations like Nozomi's are individual cases after all. The "Three-person Team Plan" works well among ordinary fusion warriors, so it is fully promoted by the Fire Moth.]

[Thanks to this, the Fire Moths' fight against Honkai has become much easier, and they even have the opportunity to expand outward and continue to build new cities...]

[Unfortunately, Honkai has dealt you a blow once again... because the "Eleventh Herrscher" has appeared.]

[That is a special "Anti-Herrscher," who can unfold a special "barrier" that can slowly expand. As long as you are in it, everything related to "energy" will be suppressed, and the effect on Honkai energy is particularly obvious.]

[If an ordinary fusion warrior moves within the barrier for more than one minute, he will die due to disordered body functions. As for ordinary people, they can only hold out for two breaths before they die due to the disappearance of bioelectric voltage in their bodies. Even within the barrier, all equipment cannot function because there is no energy to support the equipment to start. Even if they are forced to start, the equipment will malfunction, be damaged, and eventually become scrapped.]

[Add to that the slowly expanding barrier... It can be said that as long as the "Eleventh Herrscher" exists, even if it does nothing, human civilization will slowly fall into ruin.]

[Finally, the Fire Moth had no choice but to make a desperate attempt and put all the fusion warriors on the battlefield in order to eliminate the "Eleventh Herrscher."]

[But even at this critical moment of life and death, they are still unwilling to release you, because "they are worried that you, a suspected Herrscher, will undergo uncontrollable changes after coming into contact with a real Herrscher... human civilization cannot withstand the destruction of two Herrschers."]

[...hehe]

[So that in the end, when you know about this, everything is over, just like the previous "Fusion Warrior Surgery"... everything has ended without you knowing it.]

["It really makes me... irritated."]

————————

"Um... Ellie... Sister Ellie, can I not go?... This place always gives me a bad feeling..."

"Oh~ Phyllis, don't worry, Nozomi is a very nice person. Although he seems awkward most of the time, he can be very straightforward sometimes~"

Elysia walked with a girl with brown hair and heterochromatic eyes in the "Deepest Place," heading towards the only cage.

"Is… is that so… but why do I feel like it's so cold here… ugh!"

The girl named Phyllis seemed to feel something suddenly. Her whole body stiffened. The strange cat tail behind her and the pair of cat ears on her head also straightened at this moment. She stood there like a frightened cat with its fur standing on end, unable to move.

She felt a sense of being "targeted"... a feeling that she might be "hunted" at any time.

"Ell... Sister Ellie..."

Phyllis gently tugged at the corner of Elysia's clothes, with a sad face, begging for her protection.

"Haha~ Phyllis's reaction is very cute~ But... Nozomi, don't overdo it, okay? After all, this is Phyllis's first time meeting you, and she's not very familiar with you~ If you leave a bad impression on your friends, they will dislike you."

"I haven't done anything yet. She just overreacted."

Nozomi's voice came from the darkness ahead, and a pair of golden pupils with scarlet outer circles appeared in mid-air. Even through the observation window, the predator-like feeling made Phyllis' hair stand on end.

But... mid-air?

Phyllis was a little surprised for a moment, until the secret room gradually lit up with fragmented, ocean-like blue light, and everything in the "cage" became clearly visible.

The entire "cage" was inexplicably filled with bubbles, as if it was in water, but there was no trace of water. The walls were clinging to a moss-like azure blue substance, which emitted the blue light. If you look closely, you will find that it is not moss at all, but a kind of azure blue "liquid," and when it is about to slide down the wall, it will slowly wriggle back to its original place, as if it has life.

Nozomi himself was still wearing the "hunter's suit," holding the strange dark blue sword in his arms, floating quietly in the air, rising and falling slowly, as if immersed in the ocean.

This "cage" has been transformed by Nozomi's unstoppable "water" aura and has become something similar to the ocean... except that it is not filled with water.

"Hello, Kitty... Come to think of it, when Sakura came here, she told me that you were supposed to come with her to see me, but you took the initiative to apply for a transfer. I would like to thank you here in advance. After all, Sakura... um, is allergic to cat hair."

Nozomi "swam" from mid-air to the observation window, looked at Phyllis, and spoke in as soft a tone as possible.

"No no...no...you're welcome...you're welcome?"

"…Has she always been so timid? And according to her habits, cats should like [fish], right?"

Seeing Phyllis trembling and unable to speak clearly, Nozomi looked at Elysia in confusion.

"Phyllis is just an ordinary person~ She became our companion due to some accident, and Nozomi is not an ordinary [fish]... Hmm... Would cats like large aquatic animals like killer whales? I don't think I know... I'll ask Mobius when the time comes~"

Elysia answered Nozomi's question with a smile.

"But, can you please not invite me in? I miss you so much. It's so sad to turn someone away~"

"The Fire Moth shouldn't be allowed, right?"

"Aiya~ cute girls do have some small privileges after all~"

Elysia smiled and shook her head slightly, causing her pink hair to flutter.

"And the current situation forces them to make concessions... After all..."

Having said this, Elysia's eyes drooped slightly, revealing a depressed mood, but it soon disappeared and she smiled and said.

"Okay~ It's not good to always talk about these sad things when we meet, let's talk about the future~"

"...good."

Nozomi nodded, turned, and left the observation window, while Elysia pulled Phyllis, whose body had become limp and exhausted from fear, to the entrance of the "cage"... There was no other way, because of herself, Phyllis was too sensitive to this special smell, and the feeling of being "hunted" at any time was really uncomfortable.

And when Elysia brought Phyllis into the "cage," Phyllis turned gray and white, and one could even hallucinate a white soul coming out of her mouth... This made Nozomi speechless, as he clearly did nothing.

And Elysia laughed like a silver bell, patted Nozomi's shoulder gently, and comforted him gently.

"Hmm...but the [cat] is actually afraid of the [fish], and even fainted from fear...How could I have such a dream? It's really strange."

Fortunately, with the help of Elysia, Phyllis gradually recovered and slowly became familiar with Nozomi.

Soon, under the guidance of Elysia and Phyllis' own optimism, she quickly accepted Nozomi's existence. Although she was still a little scared instinctively, she would not be frightened to the point of being stiff... She even started to play in the "cage" under the guidance of Elysia.

Simply put, you can "swim" here.

Although there is no water here, because of the "water" breath constantly exuding from Nozomi himself, this place has become an environment similar to the ocean. The air is also regarded as "sea water" and can flow freely. The bubbles that keep popping up out of thin air around are also due to this reason.

This special state of being able to swim in the air made Phyllis feel curious. She played here by herself for a long time, and her fear of Nozomi gradually subsided.

As for Nozomi and Elysia, they were discussing another matter, or rather, this was the reason why Elysia came to find Nozomi.

"[Flame Chaser Project]? Does it include me?"

"Of course~ After all, Nozomi is also an important companion to us~"

Elysia swung her legs in the air, leaned back, and turned around in the air. Then she swam back to Nozomi and said with a smile.

"...I don't think the Fire Moth will accept it, right?"

"Yeah, that's true. After all, they think that many people are not worthy of the title of [HERO]. Some even say that only five people at most can bear the title of [HERO]... How can this be possible? Obviously, everyone is working hard for humanity, so they can naturally bear the title of [HERO]~"

When this matter was mentioned, Elysia seemed a little unhappy and looked very angry.

"I don't think I am worthy of the title of [HERO]..."

"Don't say that~ Nozomi is also very powerful~"

"...But, since it's your plan, Elysia, I'll just go with it."

"I knew you liked me the most~ Ah, so will Sakura be jealous? Don't tell her, okay? Hmm... But it doesn't seem to matter if she knows~ Right~"

"Elysia..."

Nozomi felt a little helpless. Elysia was always so lively and the topics were still so jumping.

"Alright, alright~ I won't tease you anymore. So... Nozomi, is there a number you like? I'm the one who ranked [HERO] this time~ It's not impossible for me to give you a little backdoor~"

"The order... is up to you, but according to the current situation... let's put it at the end."

"Eh? I thought you would ask to sit next to Sakura or to sit next to me... I had reserved the third place for you..."

"…Why is it the [third one]?"

Nozomi felt a little strange for a moment.

"Because Nozomi is awesome~ The ones ahead of you are Kevin and me ~"

"Is it ranked by strength? Or are there any special requirements?"

"That's not the case, it's just that Kevin has to be the first, and as for the second... I don't plan to give it up~"

"Then let's go with Fourteen, the last one will do."

Nozomi understood that the [first place] must be Kevin, otherwise the top leaders of Fire Moth would definitely make trouble again, and there was naturally no dispute that the [second place] was Elysia. As for the subsequent rankings... since there was no special ranking requirement, he would just let himself be ranked last.

"Hehe~ Now it's my turn to ask a question, Nozomi~ Why did you choose [Fourteen]?"

"I don't have any obvious achievements… My attempt to save my companions was unsuccessful, and the Herrschers I destroyed were only the remnants of the Tenth Herrscher. And now, I've been judged to be a Herrscher at any time… It's probably not a good idea to put such a being at the top, right? I should just be at the bottom, and there's no obvious meaning to this ranking, right?"

'Besides, I have killed far more humans than I have dealt with Honkai beasts... How can a "person" like me be called a "hero"? It is a great honor for me to be ranked last '- Nozomi did not say this.

"...Really, after hearing what you said, I don't know how to refute it."

Elysia was silent for a while, and then she started laughing again.

"But, since you said so, I'll make this decision. Don't regret it later, okay?"

"No."

Nozomi said softly.

"Besides...you have stayed here for a long time. Go back quickly...or else the Fire Moth will cause trouble for you again."

"That's too much~ Do you hate me so much? I'm so sad."

"Elysia..."

"Alright, alright~ But we really should leave now. After all, we have a surprise to prepare this time, okay? Look forward to it~"

"...Well, I'm looking forward to it."

......

.........

"Phyllis, what do you think of Nozomi?"

On the way back, Elysia asked softly.

"Ah? Brother Nozomi? Um..."

Phyllis thought about it for a moment.

"To be honest, I felt very scared when we first met. I felt like I was going to be eaten... But after getting to know each other for a while, I felt that Brother Nozomi was quite nice. It's just that sometimes he talks... well... a little strange, but compared to Nia-nee, he's already very nice, so it's not a big deal."

"Also... after staying with Brother Nozomi for too long, my tail gets wet easily, which makes me feel a little uncomfortable. I should have less contact with him. Uh... will this make Brother Nozomi angry?"

Phyllis shook her tail to shake off the remaining water droplets on it, then shrank her neck and asked with some fear.

"Haha~ Of course not, I hope you won't mind this kind of thing~ But... Phyllis, it's great that you think so~ When the Fire Moth asks you about it later, you must report the truth, okay? Don't be fooled by their rhetoric~"

"...ah?"

Phyllis didn't understand what Elysia was talking about for a moment.

"This was actually arranged by Fire Moth to examine Nozomi. Only when all of us believe that Nozomi's condition is stable can he be allowed to go out. We spent a lot of effort to get this opportunity from Fire Moth~"

Elysia said with a smile while walking briskly.

"We have a surprise in store. We can't have a lack of people. After all, we are all companions."