Preparing for Some Heart-to-Heart Therapy

Himeko, captain of the Fire Moth's Fifth Squad, had a good relationship with Kevin, often offering him guidance and support.

When Kevin saw Himeko, she greeted him warmly, just like always, calling his name with a smile.

But Kevin didn't hesitate. Without a moment's pause, he unleashed his full power, encasing his friend in ice, killing her.

The surroundings transformed into a frozen wasteland, the flames of the distant fires extinguished by the extreme cold.

Kevin stared silently at Himeko's frozen body.

This time, he didn't hesitate. He bore the burden Lee would have carried.

But…

Himeko's frozen face seemed to wear an expression of confusion, as if she didn't understand why her friend had attacked her.

Kevin's hands trembled. He remembered their recent conversation, discussing the over-enthusiastic new recruits.

Even if she had become a Herrscher, Himeko was his friend… and he had killed her.

What if next time it wasn't Himeko, but someone else?

If it were Lee, what would he do…?

The weight of responsibility pressed down on him, but his expression remained unchanged—if he was to take Lee's place as humanity's savior, he couldn't waver.

He could only pray that the worst-case scenario wouldn't happen.

The newly minted MANTIS made a grand entrance, swiftly slaying the Seventh Herrscher.

The Fire Moth, previously despondent after the Herrscher's rampage, was reinvigorated.

With such a powerful weapon as the MANTIS , how could humanity lose to the Honkai?!

The MANTIS surgery, previously shunned, suddenly became highly sought after—then, after a dozen consecutive failures, it returned to its pariah status.

Becoming a superhuman was appealing, but the risk to one's life was too high for such a low success rate.

Besides, it was debatable whether those who underwent the surgery were even human anymore. They carried Honkai beast genes, and their behavior was… different. Kevin, for example, now had a body temperature so low that it could cause frostbite. Even basic conversation was difficult.

Kevin, the first successful MANTIS , went from being an idiot who didn't fear death, to a hero, to a monster… People's perception of him shifted drastically in a short time.

Kevin didn't react. He remained stoic, fueling the rumors—Kevin, having undergone the surgery, was influenced by the Honkai beast genes, losing even his human emotions!

Losing human emotions… If only it were that easy.

In a deserted corner of a Fire Moth park, Kevin ate instant noodles.

Mobius' lab had been off-limits to him since the Sixth Herrscher incident. He couldn't even get Lee's homemade lunches anymore… He didn't even know if, in her injured state, she could still make them. After his surgery, Mobius' attitude had softened slightly, but she wasn't exactly warm, and his body temperature was a problem, so Kevin avoided her lab.

As for the cafeteria… people now avoided him like the plague, not only because of the rumors, but also because of his body temperature. No one wanted to eat in -30-degree weather.

Even eating instant noodles required a special container from Vill-V, otherwise, he'd be left with a block of ice and frozen noodles.

I wonder how Lee is doing…

"What are you doing here alone, Kevin?"

"…Lee?"

Kevin looked up sharply. Standing beside him was the person who occupied his every thought.

She wasn't wearing her usual Fire Moth combat uniform. In the summer heat, she wore a simple white sundress and a wide-brimmed hat. Her usual heroic aura was replaced by a gentle, almost fragile femininity.

Lee looked into Kevin's container, then shook her head. "Instant noodles again… and what is that posture?"

She had a point. Kevin had leaned back as she leaned forward, his head turned away, looking quite comical.

"Being too close will give you frostbite," Kevin mumbled.

That was the main reason. The other was—Lee's sundress was a bit… revealing. He didn't want to see anything he shouldn't.

"I see, I heard about that…" Lee, seemingly oblivious to Kevin's inner turmoil, sat down gracefully at the other end of the bench. "Is this all you eat now?"

"Sometimes I order takeout… but it's usually frozen by the time I get it." Seeing Lee no longer in a "dangerous" position, Kevin relaxed, sitting up straight.

Lee had to suppress a smile—Silly boy, did you think I was going to give you a fan service moment? Think again. I just wanted to tease you! This dress, which cost her two energy points from the system shop, was the "Absolutely Unseeable Dress". Even if she did a handstand, it wouldn't reveal anything.

But her inner amusement didn't affect her melancholic facade. She lowered her eyes. "That must be… unpleasant."

"…It's fine." Kevin stood up. "I have another test, so I—"

"Kevin, are you avoiding me again?"

Kevin stopped.

"I'm not, Lee, I just—" He didn't know how to explain.

He just felt ashamed to face her.

"If that's not the case, can we talk?" Lee smiled, a hint of sadness in her eyes. "It's been so long…"

After a moment of silence, Kevin sat back down, but at the very edge of the bench, away from Lee. He didn't want to hurt her with his coldness.

"I heard about your situation from Elysia. She said you're… not doing well, that you might need a good therapist."

"I thought she hated me now."

"She's a kind person. Even if she's upset, she'll forgive you eventually, and she won't abandon you." Lee smiled. "I'm not a therapist, but I'd still like to talk… If I can help you in any way, I'd be glad to."

"…" Looking at Lee's gentle gaze, Kevin hesitated, then finally spoke. "Lee, do you… have dreams? Dreams about… the people who died…"

"I often dream of them. The people of that city who died because of my mistake, the Sixth Herrscher, the Seventh Herrscher… I often see their faces."

"Kevin, me too." Lee sighed softly. "Whether it's those we failed to save or those we killed, the weight of their lives rests on those who took action…"

As if! She slept soundly every night, never haunted by ghosts.

One had to be thick-skinned. She had tried her best to save those innocent people. It wasn't her fault she couldn't save them all. As for the Herrschers and Deadites… please, they deserved it! If they escaped, it was their lucky day!

But her lack of guilt didn't mean Kevin couldn't feel it. Not everyone was as optimistic as she was.

More importantly, for her plan to work, she had to empathize with Kevin!

"Kevin… do you hate me?"