Meddling Is Necessary

The Ninth Herrscher's pseudo-black hole consumed Mu, claiming over a billion lives, the greatest loss humanity had suffered since the Honkai's emergence.

The Honkai wasn't just a disaster or an enemy, but a force of nature capable of wiping out humanity. The hope inspired by the MANTIS vanished, replaced by despair. Many believed humanity could never win.

Public attention focused on the Honkai itself and the millions of refugees from Mu. The deaths of a dozen MANTIS seemed insignificant in comparison.

But what seemed trivial on a grand scale became unbearable personal tragedies.

"Ato… is he really…?"

"…I'm sorry."

Avoiding Bianka's hollow gaze, Lee lowered her head and hurried past her.

Thanks to Ato's sacrifice, most of Fire Moth HQ had successfully evacuated to the Asian branch, including Bianka and Griseo. Many others were also waiting for Lee's aircraft, hoping to see their loved ones emerge.

But only Lee stepped out of the empty cabin.

Bianka was relatively composed. Others wept openly. Thankfully, these were Fire Moth personnel, mentally prepared for such losses. No one confronted Lee, demanding answers.

But some were still caught off guard, unable to accept the reality.

As Lee walked away from the crowd, turning a corner into a deserted alley, a young man stood silently in the shadows.

"Ms. Lee…"

Kosma's voice was hoarse. He seemed hesitant, but finally spoke his mind.

"This… was another Fire Moth decision, wasn't it? The higher-ups… they sent Ato to his death…"

Kosma searched for excuses, trying to rationalize the actions of his hero.

The rumors couldn't be true. He'd heard how corrupt the higher-ups were. They must have forced Ms. Lee to make this heartless decision—

"No, it was my decision."

Lee's words shattered Kosma's illusions. A simple nod would have allowed him to maintain his delusion, but Lee, without hesitation, stated the brutal truth.

Her expression remained calm. "There's no need to resent the Fire Moth. The former higher-ups have been… removed by Su. You know that."

Kosma fell silent. Yes, he knew those despicable people were gone, but…

He just didn't want to accept it—that the person he admired had done this.

"…Why?" Kosma lowered his head, clenching his fists. "Why did you send Ato to his death?"

"It was necessary. Sacrificing one person to save millions… it was logical."

"It wasn't logical at all!!!"

Kosma finally snapped, his voice filled with rage. "No matter the reason, it's not an excuse to send someone to their death—a hero wouldn't do that!"

Anger, but mostly disillusionment.

He believed Lee shouldn't have done this.

Perhaps there was another way?

Even if there wasn't, even if the sacrifice was necessary, Lee shouldn't have been the one to order it.

He knew his thoughts were illogical, pointless, but…

Perfect heroes didn't exist. Everything he'd heard and seen confirmed this. Kosma had tried to be that perfect hero, but he'd failed.

Selfless, infallible, invincible—he couldn't be that person.

But Lee could.

He'd admired Lee ever since she saved him from that storm, her confident smile etched in his memory.

He wanted to be closer to her, to understand her, to—become a hero like her.

Following her footsteps, he joined the Fire Moth, learning more about her. And the more he learned, the more he admired her.

She single-handedly defeated so many Herrschers, saved countless lives, her kindness and warmth extending to everyone, even taking the time to train ordinary warriors…

She was like a sun, always shining, always right—the embodiment of his ideal hero.

So he admired her, she was his dream personified.

But today, she did something a hero should never do.

Heroes never abandoned their comrades, never sent them to their deaths, never coldly calculated the value of human lives.

Perfect heroes didn't exist. The person he admired had made a rational, but heartless choice.

His dream was shattered.

His beliefs… meaningless…

Why?

Wasn't there any true justice in this world?!

Why?!

He thought of Ato, a mentor-like figure, now gone, swallowed by the void, his body never to be recovered.

He thought of Lee, the gentle Senpai, now cold and distant.

He thought of his shattered ideals.

A burning rage consumed him, seeking an outlet.

His limbs twisted, his hands morphing into monstrous claws… then, he lashed out.

…

He knew it was illogical, blaming Lee, who defeated the Herrscher, for his shattered illusions, his misplaced hero worship.

But he did it anyway, driven by rage, and also because he knew he couldn't hurt Lee.

The power difference was too great. He'd seen Lee easily subdue both Kalpas and Aponia.

Attacking Lee, he was more likely to be killed than injure her—and a part of him thought that wouldn't be so bad, at least he wouldn't have to face the futility of his dreams.

But things didn't go as planned.

He stared at his claws, piercing Lee's body, his monstrous form frozen in place.

"Why… didn't you stop me?"

Lee didn't answer, simply cupping his twisted face. The rage, the monstrous transformation, vanished instantly, leaving Kosma confused and disoriented.

"Be careful after the Meta-Morph surgery. MANTIS are easily influenced by the Honkai beast genes, especially Vishnu's."

Lee smoothed his hair, then walked away without another word, leaving Kosma standing there, bewildered.

…

Another good haul today. First Ato, then Kosma. Though Ato's efficiency is lower, it's still 400,000 combined.

Lee walked on, her face impassive, mentally calculating her earnings.

She hadn't expected Bianka and Griseo to remain composed, while Kosma broke down, but she understood—discovering your idol wasn't who you thought they were was a harsh reality.

But as a certain captain once said, admiration was the furthest thing from understanding. Placing your hopes on others inevitably led to disappointment—that's why Lee only relied on herself.

Lee touched the wound on her chest. Such an injury would incapacitate, even kill, a MANTIS , but she was unaffected. Her body was already slowly repairing the damage.

She wasn't human anymore. A little physical damage was nothing.

Visiting other sheep now might yield more energy, as Kevin and the others were about to arrive, but for Kosma's safety, Lee decided to spare them for now.

But with the Ninth Herrscher already this powerful, can this civilization even survive until the Final Herrscher?

Wouldn't it just… collapse?

After Mu's destruction, Su decided to establish a new command center at the Asian branch.

The attacks of the Eighth and Ninth Herrschers proved that concentrating resources and personnel, though efficient, was also a major vulnerability.

Mu was humanity's technological and industrial heart. Its destruction crippled their resources, and Mei's massive Project SELENE was lost, a devastating blow.

So Su chose decentralization, distributing resources to various bases worldwide. Though less efficient, it would limit losses in case of a Herrscher attack.

Some argued for concentrating the remaining resources for easier defense, but Su believed that, judging by the Herrschers' escalating power, humanity couldn't stop them without significant losses. If a Herrscher targeted a specific location, they were practically unstoppable.

All they could do was trade space for time, preventing the Herrschers from crippling humanity's last line of defense instantly.

Despite the global pessimism, humanity mobilized, establishing large-scale bases worldwide, and the MANTIS , their most powerful weapons, were deployed globally.

Lee was assigned to the Far East, not far from Su's Asian branch. Due to the smaller area and ease of reinforcement, she was the sole MANTIS responsible for the region—Lee, deprived of farming opportunities, was heartbroken.

But it was a logical decision based on various factors. Lee couldn't object just because she didn't want to be too far from the others.

"Those lively days are gone…"

Walking down a street in the Far East, eating a skewer of dango, Lee calmly observed her surroundings.

Pedestrians were few, but armed Fire Moth soldiers patrolled regularly. With the increasing Honkai activity, people rarely went out unless necessary. Encountering a Deadite or a Honkai beast was a death sentence. Even the weakest Deadite was too much for an ordinary person.

And even with soldiers patrolling, who knew if they'd arrive in time? A Deadite's scythe could kill in an instant!

But it wasn't a complete apocalypse. Law and order still existed—

"What… what do you want?!"

Hearing faint cries, Lee sighed.

Spoke too soon.

As she entered the alley, she saw a pink-haired girl shielding a younger child from a middle-aged man wielding a knife.

"Give me the medicine! I… I don't want to kill anyone!"

The man, wearing glasses and a suit, looked like an ordinary salaryman, but his hand trembled as he pointed the knife at the child. "Give me the medicine, and I'll leave!"

"No!" The younger child clutched a box tightly, trembling but refusing to let go. "My mom needs this medicine…"

"My daughter needs it too! She's young, she deserves to live more than your old mother!" Sweat dripped down the man's face. He gestured with the knife at the pink-haired girl. "This has nothing to do with you. Get out of the way if you don't want to get hurt!"

The girl hesitated, then stood her ground. "Maybe there's another way… perhaps…"

"Enough! If you're going to meddle, then—"

"[Go home.]"

As the man lunged forward, Lee's voice echoed through the alley. He froze, then dropped the knife, turning and walking away without a word.

"You… are you…?"

Lee turned to the nervous pink-haired girl, a thought crossing her mind.

Meddling is necessary. Look who I found!

That face, that hairstyle, so similar to Sakura… You're the Herrscher of Corruption, aren't you?