The Free "Pawn"

An azure meteor streaked across the sky, plummeting straight into the Honkai-ravaged town. In an instant, it struck down the rampaging Honkai beasts, then soared back into the heavens.

"Alvitr, the mission here is complete. Tell me the next target location." Durandal, soaring through the clouds, spoke into her communicator, her tone casual, as if what she just did was trivial.

"Yes, the next coordinates have been sent to your personal terminal."

Back at Schicksal HQ, in the Immortal Blades base, Alvitr hurriedly sent the coordinates to Durandal and immediately contacted the local Valkyrie squad to handle the cleanup and survivor rescue. Just as she finished, Durandal sent another coordinate request.

Alvitr felt like she'd gone from "data analyst" to "switchboard operator."

"Captain Durandal's current location should be within the Far East Branch's jurisdiction, right? I recall their commander being quite capable. Why does she have to handle everything?" a nearby assistant complained.

Alvitr, stealing a moment to stretch, groaned, "It's because the Captain is conducting field tests for the fourth-generation battlesuits. The Overseer believes practical combat is better than simulations, so he arranged these 'battlefield stress tests'..."

Assigning the suppression of all global Honkai incidents to a single person… is this a stress test for the equipment or the person?, Alvitr thought, though she knew it was disrespectful to Overseer Otto.

Is this even humanly possible?

…

Amber, with her elegant figure, approached Otto and softly called, "Overseer..."

Otto was focused on the numbers flickering across the wall-sized screen, and absently asked without turning, "What is it, Amber?"

"The satellite monitoring system detected a significant energy fluctuation in the Nagazora City ruins fifteen minutes ago. Should we order Theresa from the Far East Branch to investigate?"

Nagazora City? Otto looked away from the screen and turned to Amber, who was waiting for his orders. He found it strangely amusing. As expected of the site of the Third Honkai Eruption. Unexpected incidents keep popping up. Interesting.

"Where is Durandal now?" The elements for his experiment were falling into place. Otto didn't want the Far East Branch causing any trouble now. He needed absolute quiet there, undisturbed.

Amber took out her tablet, pulling up Durandal's location information. "Captain Durandal is currently 2100 kilometers north of Nagazora City."

"Oh? Then have Durandal investigate." Otto waved his hand, making the decision.

......

"Durandal, has arrived at the target location..."

Durandal, hovering in the air, glanced down and saw the massive Honkai beast lying dead in the ruins. She reported to Amber over the comms, "It's a variant Honkai Emperor, purple markings, possibly related to the Herrscher of Thunder's abilities. It has been eliminated. There are obvious signs of battle."

Moments later, receiving new instructions, Durandal's blue and white battlesuit emitted another burst of blue light, propelling her downwards in a rapid dive. She flew across the ground at high speed, kicking up dust and debris.

Durandal quickly circled the area. The battlesuit's built-in computer completed its energy detection and object scan, transmitting the data back to HQ in real-time.

After completing all of this, she shot back up into the sky, piercing the clouds and disappearing into the night—

"Mission complete. Please transmit the next coordinates."

The early March night wind was chilly, quickly dispersing the dust and the faint traces of life, leaving the city silent once again, just as it had been for the past year.

After an unknown amount of time, maybe half an hour, maybe longer, a slow, crisp clapping sound echoed through the desolate night, quickly fading in the wind.

A cherry blossom appeared out of thin air beneath the mangled Honkai Emperor carcass, twirling gently in the wind before vanishing as it touched the ground.

Its trajectory, however, seemed to unzip a tear in space. Amidst a flash of cherry-colored light, a man slowly walked out, clapping softly.

It was Lin Wei. He hadn't left at all. His expression was strange, a mixture of surprise and amusement, as if he had witnessed something incredible. "Is this the sword technique called 'Nameless Slash,' capable of freezing spacetime? Sakura, you really did learn all her tricks!"

It was clear who the applause was for.

"Heh, you're quite bold. I only barely grasped it. And my compatibility with her is different. She can freeze spacetime, I can't." Yae Sakura's cold voice echoed in his mind, tinged with fatigue from the exertion, yet still laced with reprimand. "Coming up with such a risky plan on the fly… Lin Wei, do you think you're invincible?"

"Sorry, Sakura. I made you worry. But to gain the upper hand from a passive position, I had to take a risk. Besides, World Serpent only knows I have a Stigmata, they don't know about you. So, my only way to break the situation was to borrow your power..."

Lin Wei knew his actions were a bit crazy. He explained to Yae Sakura, trying to appease her, "And Sakura, because you said you could do it, and I trust you wouldn't harm me, I believed you. So how can you say I was gambling with my life?"

"..." His smooth talking both soothed Yae Sakura's anger and annoyed her at the same time.

Quite the sweet talker, aren't you?

Is this how you tricked Fu Hua into counting your money for you after you sold her out?

"I know your compatibility isn't the same as the one in the Elysian Realm. She can freeze spacetime, you can't. But creating a momentary tear and maintaining an illusion… that you can do."

Lin Wei continued explaining his plan. He hadn't had time to explain everything earlier. "So I asked you to strike me with that slash, giving me a brief moment outside of spacetime. Combined with Pandora's projection of the Second Divine Key, it achieved a similar effect."

Lin Wei chuckled, looking up at the enormous Honkai beast carcass. "Then, with our physical forms temporarily outside of spacetime, our energy also frozen, the tiny bit of energy we left behind, masked by the Honkai Emperor's massive energy fluctuations, was like a single drop of water disappearing into the ocean."

"Therefore, this was the perfect observation spot. I gathered a lot of information. Heh, quite the profit."

As he spoke, Lin Wei turned and left the scene, this time for good.

After walking a good distance, he looked back at the ravaged battlefield, the trap carefully laid for him. "A trap? Heh, sorry, it was my trap, too."

Retaliation starts the moment you detect a scheme!

Lin Wei chuckled coldly. Do I look like the type to just sit and wait?

"A trap? So what did you get out of it?" Yae Sakura couldn't keep up with Lin Wei's train of thought. How was it his trap?

Lin Wei didn't answer immediately, instead gazing in the direction Durandal had flown off in, clicking his tongue and muttering sarcastically, "So swift and decisive. That must be Durandal... Tsk tsk, interesting. It wasn't Theresa who came? Disappointing, yet fortunate."

"What do you mean?" Yae Sakura was getting annoyed. Stop being cryptic and speak plainly!

"It means our situation is much better than initially expected." Lin Wei chuckled, giving Yae Sakura the conclusion first, before slowly explaining, "You've read my memories, you know how important those people in St. Freya are, and how much attention they attract. But we were only seeing things through a fog before. After observing firsthand, I realized just how deep the waters around that vortex really are..."

Lin Wei continued, marveling at his discoveries, "I caused such a big commotion, yet Schicksal sent Durandal to investigate the Nagazora City incident instead of the much closer Far East Branch. I even waited a bit longer, just in case. Tsk tsk, I recall it only takes forty-five minutes to get here from Schicksal HQ, right?"

At least that's what the manga said.

"What does that tell us?"

"Heh, it tells us a lot... Sakura, you know, as a transmigrator, there's only one chance to join the 'protagonist group' in St. Freya. That was last year, during the Honkai eruption, to escape Nagazora City with them."

Lin Wei's expression turned serious. Last year, he had the opportunity but not the ability. Now he had the ability, but the opportunity was gone.

"If I remember correctly, the so-called 'experiment' will start in the latter half of next year. And the absence of the Far East Branch just now proves one thing."

"If I were Otto, I would put that place into complete lockdown for the next year and a half, eliminating all interference and waiting for the right moment to harvest the fruits of his labor."

Lin Wei chuckled coldly, as if mocking humanity's ugly greed. "It's not just Otto. Schicksal, World Serpent, Anti-Entropy, all three factions are watching that poor school, their eyes fixed on that poor girl."

Yae Sakura remained silent. She had read Lin Wei's memories, so she understood what he meant—

The whole world was in the "calm before the storm." The three factions were focused on Schicksal's Far East Branch. Everyone was waiting, everyone was holding back.

Waiting for the starting pistol!

World Serpent tolerated the loss of the Divine Key, Judgement of Shamash, partly because Kevin hadn't returned, and partly because its current wielder was K423's father, wasn't it?

Similarly, Schicksal's tolerance of Anti-Entropy and Siegfried's activities was also a form of restraint.

The Herrscher experiment was too important. Schicksal and Anti-Entropy on the surface, World Serpent lurking in the shadows, they were all waiting for this day.

In the original timeline, the arrival of the Herrscher was like a gunshot, signaling the start of chaos.

After that, World Serpent would become fully active. The first thing they would do is attack Anti-Entropy and retrieve Judgement of Shamash—

It seems they've been holding back for a long time.

Then, they'd welcome back Kevin and start the Stigmata project...

Schicksal would launch a full-scale attack on Anti-Entropy, not even sparing the children in the orphanage.

As for Anti-Entropy? Just pawns...

Coupled with the backdrop of a global Honkai eruption, the world would enter its most chaotic four months, during which the "fruits" would be divided—

Otto would gain the experimental data he craved.

World Serpent would get the global energy surge they needed, and the right moment would finally arrive.

Anti-Entropy would pick up the scraps, absorbing the almost-forgotten Far East Branch.

Then, Kevin's return, with his overwhelming power, would put an end to all the conflicts, and the world would return to normal.

Removing the rose-tinted glasses of the story, shifting the focus from the protagonists to a wider perspective, reveals the cold, harsh truth of this world—

Everyone was just a pawn, thrown into the game and used up.

And even more people, insignificant as dust in the face of a terrifying disaster, weren't even qualified to be pawns.

"In this world, everyone is a pawn, including Otto and Kevin..." Lin Wei chuckled coldly, looking up at the gloomy sky. "And I am a pawn outside the chessboard."

Durandal's streak of light had not only pierced the sky but also shattered Lin Wei's last illusions about the "story."

He suddenly realized he didn't like this world.

But he still didn't want to change the story.

Even though the story belonged to a few, this world wasn't just about those few people on the stage.

At least the ending was good.

That was enough.

But…

Lin Wei knew he still wasn't ready, and he resented Gray Serpent for forcing him out of his comfort zone.

He shook his head, throwing off the pointless resentment, and focused on the present.

"When Durandal appeared, I finally understood Gray Serpent's 'countermeasures' against me!"

Lin Wei laughed. "Just like how I could easily kill Otto with the Key of Corruption, but I definitely couldn't handle Durandal hunting me down afterwards."

He stabbed the cane, transformed from his katana, repeatedly into the ground, venting his frustration. "I could destroy Gray Serpent the same way, but the consequence would be provoking that 'Hare' who's currently keeping a low profile…"

Lin Wei smiled, his eyes cold, a spark of excitement flickering within them—a thirst for battle. "What an interesting 'balance of terror,' isn't it? I can easily kill Gray Serpent, and Hare can easily strip me of my Stigmata, turning me back to normal, leaving me to die from Honkai corruption."

"..." Yae Sakura remained silent. She knew that in her current state, closer to a "conceptual being," that "Hare" was her natural enemy.

In the night, Lin Wei walked further and further away, chatting casually with Yae Sakura. "Therefore, I can't act rashly. I can't bear the consequences. Likewise, Gray Serpent won't act rashly either. The full power of Pandora hasn't been revealed, and with his rationality, he probably won't risk such an uncontrollable factor, especially now, during this period of calm."

"I'm uncontrollable, I can't be World Serpent's 'tool,' so Gray Serpent could only reject me."

"But he didn't intend to make an enemy of you." Yae Sakura felt the growing hostility and resentment in Lin Wei's heart and reminded him.

"..." Lin Wei paused, sighing. "Yes, he's just trying to make the 'pawn' play its role. 'The right person in the right place,' as they say. From the perspective of human civilization as a whole, honestly, it's understandable..."

Gray Serpent's intentions are good, I guess, Lin Wei thought sarcastically.

"But your heart doesn't belong here." Yae Sakura hit the nail on the head, making him stop again.

This human civilization had nothing to do with Lin Wei, nor with her.

He was a passerby; she was just a ghost of the past.

"...If I don't belong here, where do I belong?" Lin Wei murmured, looking up at the sky.

As the old saying goes, any patch of earth can bury a man.

But everyone needs a place to call home.

Seeing Lin Wei's melancholy, Yae Sakura changed the subject, bringing it back to the recent events. "So you deliberately lured Durandal here, then hid and observed to gather information?"

"Heh, of course not. The appearance of a Honkai Emperor is eye-catching enough on its own. Gray Serpent's goal was likely to expose me to Schicksal again, to pull his chestnuts out of the fire."

"So I just played along and added a bit of flair. Partly to see how deep the water is, partly to conceal myself again."

Lin Wei's expression was a bit strange. Thinking of his earlier "heartfelt performance," it seemed he had tricked Raven again.

That scoundrel… Yae Sakura thought, then asked, "So are you planning to expose World Serpent in return?"

"Of course not. It's not the right time to expose World Serpent. Letting the story unfold along its original trajectory is in our best interest."

It's also in the best interest of most people, Lin Wei added silently. "Besides, using such a blatant method of retaliation now is too overtly hostile. It's equivalent to declaring war on World Serpent. In our current 'enemy strong, we weak' situation, that's not wise. It's asking for trouble."

Lin Wei stroked his chin thoughtfully. "I just redirected the trouble. But based on my analysis, it'll probably just fizzle out. But my goal of concealing myself won't be affected, and that's enough."

......

Schicksal, Sky Island, Central Intelligence Center.

"Overseer, the data analysis is complete: the source of the anomaly was a variant Honkai Emperor, presumed to be of the lightning element, which was eliminated before Miss Durandal arrived."

Amber projected a reconstructed 3D model in front of Otto.

"Based on the analysis of the scene data, there was large-scale bombardment and traces of gravity manipulation, very similar to Anti-Entropy's methods. Also..."

"Oh? Aren't those Anti-Entropy fellows busy with their internal strife? Do they have the time to play hero?" Otto scoffed, not surprised by the result. "Also what?"

Amber zoomed in on the image of the Honkai Emperor. The scorch marks were clearly visible. "These injuries have an 85% similarity to those caused by Judgement of Shamash. It's suspected that Siegfried participated in the battle with the Divine Key. Should we dispatch personnel to search?"

"...No need, let him be." Otto scoffed again. That foolish man, still loves playing the hero.

Although Amber didn't understand, she obeyed and withdrew.

......

The scene returned to the Nagazora City ruins.

"What are you going to do next?" Yae Sakura asked Lin Wei.

Now that he had escaped the notice of both World Serpent and Schicksal, was he planning to hide again?

"Hiding is out of the question. That's no different from waiting to be caught. World Serpent's intelligence capabilities…tsk tsk, they can find a needle in a haystack." Lin Wei chuckled. Since World Serpent had made a move, they wouldn't let him shrink back.

If he acted like an ostrich, it would be like handing over the little initiative he'd gained.

As if I'm that stupid.

The weak must strike first!

Yae Sakura didn't speak, knowing Lin Wei had already made up his mind.

All she had to do was, as always, support and accompany him.

"Next, I'll try to make some friends..." Lin Wei looked towards the building in the distance, its lights piercing the night, a mischievous smile spreading across his face.