Fire Moths!

The atmosphere in the war room was scorching.

Michael felt a dampness forming at the small of his back. He tugged at his collar, trying to shake off the discomfort.

Noticing this, Sakura silently released a wisp of cold air.

In his daze, Michael seemed to hear a chorus of synchronized breathing. He wasn't the only one struggling with the heat. The anger in the room was palpable, burning through everyone present.

It was strange.

Michael had believed himself beyond emotional fluctuations, yet as the flames licked at his heart, a surge of anger rose from deep within him.

But Mei remained unaffected.

Sweat-drenched bangs clung to her forehead, yet her expression remained calm. Before Keer could react, she decisively released the next recording.

...

"If this is Mei's disguise, it wouldn't be surprising. With her capabilities, she could easily piece together some clues in a short time.

But what's the point of such a disguise? Does she want to stay out of it, only to overturn everything at the last moment? Impossible. Unless the First Herrscher is willing to intervene."

He paused, then continued.

"But if he intended to suppress humans by force, he would have done so long ago. Besides, our next move is aimed precisely at this—tearing apart the last threads of trust between Fire Moth and Anti-Entropy!"

As the second recording played, the sound of rapid breathing echoed from the other side of the screen.

"Well, Secretary-General Keer, do you have anything else to say…?"

"Hehehe..."

Keer chuckled twice, cutting Mei off.

She didn't react—no anger, no rebuttal. Instead, she simply crossed her arms and waited, her confidence unwavering.

"Mei, have you fallen so low that you have to resort to such despicable means? Everyone knows there's a woman named Vill-V in Anti-Entropy. Altering a few unrelated voice patterns to sound like us wouldn't be difficult for her, would it?"

His words had barely left his mouth before the room erupted.

A chorus of boos filled the air. Boots and socks flew in protest.

Michael sighed, covering his nose as he pulled out another hard drive.

"Oh? How about this one then?"

...

"First, although Lezlun doesn't have their full trust, at least half of the staff we sent are his people. To maintain the balance, we still need to purge the staff.

"Second, we still don't know Kevin's current condition. If Kevin is still alive, all our actions will be a joke—so, we have to kill him."

This wasn't just an audio recording.

It was a video.

From Keer's own perspective.

The footage clearly captured the other ten [SEELE] members.

Keer fell silent. Not because he lacked a way to refute the accusations—he could have simply claimed, like before, that Vill-V had forged it.

But this time, he was too shocked to react.

Because this… had actually happened.

And worse—how was this camera seemingly mounted on his head? How could it move, tracking his exact line of sight as if it were reading his memory?

Most importantly, the previous two leaks could be blamed on a traitor. That possibility, while troubling, was manageable.

But this?

This was a demonstration of force.

If the other party could install a camera on him without his knowledge, they could just as easily take his life the same way.

Wait.

Damn it!

Did Mei give them our location?! She actually told a Herrscher such crucial information?! She actually trusts a Herrscher this much?!

Keer and the others could never understand it.

To them, whether it was Phamas, Himeko, Ken, or even the later Mei, their trust in the First Herrscher had to be based on utility—a calculated reliance on his power to fight other Herrschers.

But Mei's actions made something terrifyingly clear:

Between the First Herrscher and you so-called higher-ups—

We trust him more.

We acknowledge him more.

(Though, in truth, it wasn't this world's Mei who gave Michael their location—it was the Mei from the world bubble. But if that one made such a choice… could the Mei standing by Michael's side truly choose any differently?)

He didn't understand.

But he was shocked.

So much so that he could only hum a few times, his mind reeling, his will to resist nearly crumbling.

Yet Mei didn't give him the chance to recover.

She tapped her fingers again.

One by one, the screen lit up with undeniable evidence—proof of [SEELE]'s involvement in the Poison Cocoon riot.

The revelations were damning:

1. A recording and transfer record showing that Poison Cocoon member .684 received 100 kilograms of gold and a promise of freedom—in exchange for assassinating Kevin with an electromagnetic sniper rifle, framing Immer in the process. (The payment had already been routed into Anti-Entropy funds.)

2. Financial records detailing the production of diluted Honkai beast fusion factor injections, bearing the logos of Anti-Entropy and Mobius, based on Mei's research.

3. Distribution logs proving that 130 units of the diluted Honkai beast fusion factor injections had been sent out:

-- 100 to Poison Cocoon dorms.

-- 20 to Poison Cocoon patients in the medical area.

-- 10 taken from storage by Michael—now officially recorded.

Each revelation tightened the noose around Keer's neck.

His resistance was already crumbling.

And Mei had only just begun.

...

Faced with a mountain of real and forged evidence, Keer was finally speechless.

Sure, he could have kept denying everything. He could have insisted that it was all Vill-V's fabrication, a grand conspiracy orchestrated by the First Herrscher.

But there was no point anymore.

Because, just as Mei had said—

////

"Next, I'll submit this evidence to the United Government's council, legal department, inspection department, and the humanitarian department. If you—or any of you—have justifications to make, then go talk to that group of wig-wearing judges! If you have some self-righteous explanation, go and speak to those bloated councilmen!"

////

A landslide of cheers erupted from the soldiers.

With two decisive taps on her keyboard, Mei severed communication with the United Government.

The soldiers loved it.

And as for possible retaliation?

Mei wasn't worried. From this day on, Fire Moth would be more united than ever. As long as the Honkai existed, those bureaucrats wouldn't dare cut off funding completely.

And if the Honkai disappeared?

Then their struggle would have already ended.

What else would there be left to say?

Of course.

Of course.

There was still one more thing to do today.

Mei somehow procured a small hammer and lightly tapped it on the command console.

"There's one more thing!"

Her voice was calm—too calm.

Yet, effortlessly, it seized everyone's attention.

Elvin, who had been about to cut the broadcast, hesitated. His hand hovered over the controls before he slowly pulled it back.

Mei continued.

"As you all know, a few years ago, when I was still just a high school girl at Chiba Academy in Nagazora City, the First Herrscher and Elysia were already serving in Fire Moth's Fifth Squad. Dr. Mobius was one of the organization's founders.

Why did they leave Fire Moth?

Because of human prejudice.

The words hung heavy in the air.

"The people in power back then refused to recognize Michael as human.

But I am different."

A murmur rippled through the room.

Mei pressed on.

"Kevin and I can both vouch for this—the First Herrscher is not like the others.

Putting aside his power, he is fully human.

More than that, he possesses a beauty that belongs to humanity—something that many who claim to be 'human' sorely lack."

She didn't name names.

She didn't have to.

Everyone had seen what had just transpired. Everyone knew exactly who she was referring to.

Then, she turned.

And stretched out her hand.

"So, Michael... please come back."

Michael, caught completely off guard, could only stare.

And then—

"I can also vouch for Michael's character!"

Himeko's voice rang out loud and clear.

Then came Ken.

Fuxi.

Nuwa.

Elvin, still adjusting the recording equipment.

Andre, excitedly tugging at his beard.

And countless other veterans—those who had survived the Second and Third Honkai Eruptions.

One by one, they shouted themselves hoarse.

And yet, even as their voices rose, their eyes—all filled with excitement, fear, and hope—remained locked on a single figure.

Michael.

But in the end, these people were the minority.

Fire Moth was a combat organization—one with an exceptionally high casualty rate.

Among so-called veterans, for every ten, perhaps only one remained.

And in this command room of over a hundred people, fewer than twenty bore the scars of past battles.

The new recruits far outnumbered them.

At first, they had been caught up in the momentum—the cheers, the declarations, the sheer weight of Mei's words.

But then, doubt crept in.

Not doubt in Mei.

Not doubt in Michael himself.

But that deeply ingrained, instinctive human fear of change.

Sure, they had all heard the rumors about Michael. Some had even gossiped about him in their spare time. A few had entertained the fantasy—what if the legendary First Herrscher really did return to Fire Moth?

But now that it was happening?

Now they hesitated.

Was Michael truly as harmless as he appeared? As Dr. Mei and the others swore he was?

It was like a celebrity with millions of fans—yet how many would actually dare to stand in front of him? Shake his hand? Speak to him?

And Michael wasn't just a celebrity.

He was a Herrscher.

An existence that, by all accounts, shouldn't be standing here, in Fire Moth's war room, being welcomed back as one of their own.

And yet—

Mei's hand remained outstretched.

She was waiting.

For Michael's decision.

Michael was caught completely off guard by Mei's actions. Their original plan was to use the "fight fire with fire" tactic—undermine Vasak, eliminate Lezlun's staff, sever ties with the United Government, and allow Mei to take control of Fire Moth.

But now, Mei had acted before they could carefully deliberate. The question of whether Anti-Entropy should return to Fire Moth—and when—was something they should have decided together.

Instead, Michael found himself staring at Mei's resolute expression. It was clear: strike while the iron is hot. Finish it all in one battle.

Three seconds passed. Michael didn't reach out to Mei's hand. Instead, he picked up the small hammer from the table and tapped it heavily, drawing everyone's attention. Even though he was already the center of focus, this gesture demanded more.

He raised his fingers—index, middle, and ring—pointing them high into the sky. It was a clear coincidence, a universal gesture. People in ancient Shenzhou and Europe swore oaths like this.

But his words weren't an oath.

The air around them chilled, tightening in their chests.

Michael took a deep breath, trying to suppress the sharp pain in his lungs. Then he shouted, his voice steady and powerful, cutting through the tension:

"Fire Moths!"

The moment the word left his lips, all noise vanished. The excited shouts, the whispered doubts—everything fell silent.

"Fire Moths." It was the name of their organization. But this time, it wasn't just a name; it described something else entirely.

Humans.

This was the intention of the one who had first named them.

For a moth, chasing a flame was an instinct. There was no glory or romance in it—only a biological pull. Yet, for Michael, Elysia, Mei, and many others, the name carried a fierce obsession.

Because this name was romantic.

It represented the countless generations of people who had advanced with unwavering determination, hurling themselves toward a seemingly impossible goal.

On the surface, it only symbolized humanity's most primal survival instinct. Yet, through the blessing of civilization, it came to represent something far more precious—perseverance.

A perseverance that carried legendary stories of the end times.

And most importantly, it embodied that beautiful, never-to-be-abandoned hope within the human heart.

The hope that, even in burning themselves out, they could keep the light of civilization burning.

That was what Michael wanted to say.

He wanted to share his struggles during each Honkai Eruption, to tell them about the loneliness and prejudice he'd faced, to speak of his own path as a "Fire Chaser." He wanted to tell them that he was just another Fire Moth, like them.

But suddenly, he realized there was no need for all these words. So much was caught in his throat, words that wouldn't come out. Besides, hadn't they already understood what he meant?

The simple phrase escaped his lips, and it was as though a waterfall poured down—countless droplets falling, each one resonating in the hearts of everyone present.

It rippled outward in circles.

Many burst into tears, and even Michael felt choked up. It was as if the moment he spoke that word, everyone could feel the perseverance buried within his futility, the hope hidden in his despair.

"No... No, no, no! That wasn't an illusion! That wasn't just a coincidence!"

Michael's blurry gaze scanned the room, his heart racing. Someone had used a mental perception method to send their emotions directly into the hearts of every soldier present.

Tears streamed down the faces of the new recruits as his eyes passed over them, before landing on a figure standing outside the crowd, brought in by the Second Key.

The nun's face remained serene, her lips curled into a smile as she clasped her hands in prayer.

And there, the cute pink-haired girl turned her head away, delicately touching her elf-like pointed ears with her finger.

"Thank you, Aponia, and… Elysia..."

Just as the words left his mouth, the atmosphere shifted.

"Thump, thump, thump!"

Mei tapped the table with a sharp knock, her voice cutting through the heavy silence. "Fire Moth is an organization that follows the principle of the majority submitting to the minority. Since Michael doesn't object, I declare: in accordance with Article 3, Amendment 27 of Fire Moth's Regulations, a full organization referendum will be held starting now—to decide whether Fire Moth will accept the merger with Anti-Entropy. It requires a two-thirds majority. That's all."