The next day marked the end of the week-long vacation.
Naturally, this meant everyone would return to active duty.
Himeko had previously informed Adam of Dr. Mei's intention to transfer him to the main HQ in the Mu continent. However, the official order for transfer would take some time to arrive.
For now, Adam would remain in active duty with his assigned team.
---
In a small town somewhere in Australia
The streets reeked of smoke and decay. Only days ago, this had been a thriving town—families at the markets, children walking to school. Now, fires still smoldered in collapsed homes, overturned cars blocked the roads, and trails of blood marked desperate last stands.
The Honkai eruption had been sudden. Minor compared to global disasters, perhaps, but devastating enough to consume everything here. Those who hadn't escaped had already fallen—either to infection or to the beasts.
Adam and his ten-man squad had been sent to assist the remnants of the local military in containing the outbreak before it spread further.
Slash.
The sound of his blade split the chaos, a violent gale bursting outward. The compressed arc of Reiatsu howled through the street, severing zombies and Honkai beasts alike as though they were paper. Their bodies fell in heaps across blood-slick pavement.
Adam stood at the intersection, ringed by enemies closing in from every direction. His face remained calm, unshaken.
Slash.
Slash.
Slash.
Each movement conjured another crescent of wind, tearing apart the swarm. Beasts shrieked as their carapaces split cleanly in half, while zombies crumpled mid-charge. Within moments, silence followed—the only sound the crackle of burning debris nearby.
Adam frowned slightly at the outcome.
"This move burns through Reiryoku too quickly with my inadequate control… but it's efficient for clearing mobs."
He watched carefully as his slash tore through multiple enemies when they were lined up together.
But soon his expression darkened. He lowered his head, staring at his hand.
"The stability is definitely the issue here. I can only push so much Reiatsu into rapid strikes before my control slips and the arc destabilizes with each consecutive slash…"
He spoke softly, half to himself, while behind him his squad stared in disbelief.
"That was amazing, Captain!" someone cheered.
"Yeah, amazing," another muttered flatly. "At this rate, we're just moral support."
Hurrying up last was Hua. Her gaze lingered on Adam and the ruined beasts littering the street. The sight drove home the gulf between them—his strength now overwhelming, hers still struggling to match even a fraction. One strike from him equaled what would take her a desperate minute.
Fear settled in her chest: fear of being left behind.
Adam didn't notice. His mind was fixed entirely on testing the move, dissecting every detail.
---
[Getsuga Tensho – Novice (12%)]
Description: A self-created combat skill that condenses Reiatsu along the blade's edge to unleash a solid flying slash. Inspired by the original technique of Zangetsu.
---
"Alright, clean up the stragglers and pack up. Our mission's done."
"Yes, Captain!"
The squad saluted and split off. Most were veterans from Himeko's unit, used to fighting in eruptions like this. Only Hua was new. With the beasts eliminated, the remaining zombies could be left for the soldiers—especially with anti-Honkai gear.
Adam lowered himself onto a slab of rubble from a collapsed storefront. He opened his System interface.
A sultry, jealous whisper brushed against his ear.
"Why bother recreating another's technique? Am I not enough for you?"
Adam's body tensed immediately, but he quickly sighed.
"Kyoka Suigetsu… Do you have to sneak up on me like this?"
The spirit of his Zanpakuto materialized into his senses, descending lightly before perching on his lap. She gazed into his eyes, indignant and unyielding—less regal than his first impression, more like a possessive, jealous cat. Perhaps her Shikai's ability, Absolute Hypnosis, allowed her to tamper with his perception enough to appear so vividly.
"You know, with my Shikai release, you could have made those beasts tear themselves apart. You wouldn't even need to lift your blade."
Her disdain was sharp. Adam had no rebuttal. She wasn't wrong. But he had reasons—reasons he kept to himself.
Dealing with Kyoka Suigetsu was always a gamble. Zanpakuto spirits owned their power, lending or sealing it at will. Adam was both fortunate and cursed: she offered freely, sometimes too freely, yet was dangerously fickle. A wrong word could reduce his weapon to nothing more than sharpened steel.
Flick.
"Ow…" Adam winced, rubbing his forehead.
"Hmph. Thinking poorly of me again." She pouted, then vanished, the glow on his Zanpakuto dimming with her retreat.
Adam let out a sigh of relief. If she was just sulking, coaxing would fix it later. He turned his focus back to Getsuga Tensho.
Absolute Hypnosis was too powerful—an unrivaled trump card. Revealing it in front of Fire Moth's higher-ups would make him a threat. Until his plans were secure, he needed another reliable method of offense.
Buying another Zanpakuto was out of the question—Kyoka Suigetsu would never forgive that, and the cost alone was ruinous. Mastering his own technique was the smarter path.
Experimentation with Getsuga Tensho had already taught him something important: the difference between dense and solid Reiatsu.
Dense Reiatsu detonated violently on impact, overwhelming defenses, but lacked fine cutting ability.
Solid Reiatsu was compacted into a fine edge, losing explosiveness but carving through carapaces with precision.
It was simple game logic, really. Unarmored enemies could be killed easily with explosive moves. But heavily armored enemies needed penetration.
Until now, Adam had relied on density—brute force blasts to smash through beast carapaces. But Getsuga Tensho was different. By condensing Reiatsu into an ultra-thin, solid edge, he created blades that sliced effortlessly through hardened armor.
The technique demanded precise control, extremely so. But the energy cost was nearly two-thirds less than his older methods, both in theory and in practice so far.
More importantly, it scaled. Against weaker enemies, he could minimize expenditure. Against stronger ones, he could channel more. It wasn't just a flashy strike—it was an efficient method of resource management, a way to stretch his small reserve of Reiryoku further in battle.
Adam allowed himself the barest smile.
"Yes. This is the way forward."
---
In Himeko's office
"Good job, Adam."
Adam stood tall, eyes fixed on her as she flipped through the report he had just submitted.
"I was only following orders, Captain," Adam replied casually, far from the usual tone of a subordinate addressing a superior.
"But still…" Himeko set the report down with a sigh. "I didn't expect your growth to be this absurd."
She leaned back, her gaze sharp as she studied him.
"To kill two Templars in one strike—and then three Chariots after that…"
Himeko exhaled again, disbelief etched across her face.
Adam only lifted his arms and shrugged with a smirk.
"You told me to perform my best to impress Dr. Mei. I just did what you asked, Captain."
Bam!
"You bra—" Himeko slammed the desk but stopped short, realizing brat wasn't exactly fitting; their age difference wasn't that wide.
Massaging her temple, she sank back into her chair.
The mission hadn't been just an assignment—it was part of an agreement between her and Dr. Mei. For Adam to earn Mei's protection, he needed to prove his value, enough that Mei could justify shielding him as a crucial asset to Fire Moth. This mission had been a test, a chance for Mei to see the evidence firsthand.
Himeko had expected him to show strength comparable to Fire Moth's elite soldiers. But none of them could cut down half a dozen powerful Honkai Beasts with a single swing. Not even close.
Even Kevin—the organization's strongest combatant—could bring down one Templar with ease, but two at once would push him into a struggle. Adam had surpassed that benchmark with frightening nonchalance.
With that display, protecting him from the higher-ups was no longer the concern. Now, the problem was the opposite: they'd be desperate to recruit him into their factions, once it became clear his recovery was unique and unreplicable.
In a way, Adam's feat solved one problem… but created a far greater one. Like leaping out of the pan and straight into the fire.
Himeko resisted the urge to pull her hair out. She could only glare at Adam, who, unsurprisingly, avoided her gaze.
"You… you did this on purpose," she accused, her voice steady. "Now, spill it. What are you planning?"
Her eyes locked on him, unrelenting. Under that stare, Adam felt his defenses weaken—but his lips stayed sealed.
How could he explain? That he was a transmigrator from another world, determined to rewrite the tragedies of this era? Impossible.
Yet silence made him seem suspicious, even ungrateful. Himeko had taken him in, even pulled strings to shield him from the greedy higher-ups.
If not for Kyoka Suigetsu, Adam might have obediently followed her arrangements. But with Absolute Hypnosis in his possession, his path had changed.
No longer would he simply lay low, growing in secret while waiting for the right moment. With Kyoka Suigetsu, he had the capital to strike at the heart of Fire Moth's greatest weakness:
The lack of unity among its leaders—a system crippled by politics and self-interest.
"I'm sorry, Captain… but I have my own reasons—reasons I cannot disclose."
Adam bowed deeply, his eyes fixed on the floor. Guilt weighed on his chest, too heavy for him to meet hers.
"I know this must sound ungrateful," he continued, his voice low but steady. "But there are things I must accomplish in this world, no matter the cost. Circumstances leave me no choice."
Slowly, Adam lifted his head, his eyes locking onto Himeko's with an intensity that refused to waver.
"There are people I need to save. People who matter more to me than myself. To protect them… there are goals I must achieve."
His voice trembled with conviction, each word carrying the crushing weight of memories he could never erase. The tragedies of the Previous Era surged through his mind like an unrelenting tide—faces, screams, the silence of lives extinguished. It pressed on his chest like a mountain, threatening to suffocate him, yet it was that same burden that gave his words their unshakable strength.
These weren't just distant ghosts anymore. They were people he loved—souls he could no longer reduce to "characters" in a story. Among them stood Himeko, the woman he had once admired from afar, the 2D wife he treasured not merely for her allure, but for her kindness, her brilliance, her sacrifice. Memories of the Final Lesson stabbed through his heart, tightening his chest until it was hard to breathe. Just recalling it was enough to blur his vision with unshed tears.
No. He clenched his fists. Not again. I won't let her reach that ending.
Himeko held his gaze, searching for weakness, for hesitation—anything that would betray him. Yet all she found was raw, unflinching resolve, the kind that could only be born from carrying an unbearable purpose. That look… it was too familiar. It mirrored the fire she once carried in her own youth, before the years, the battles, and the Honkai had gnawed away at it.
The recognition cut her deeper than she expected.
At last, Himeko exhaled, a long, weary sigh, and with a wave of her hand dismissed him.
"…If that's how it is, then go. Get out of my sight."
The words were sharp, dressed in the guise of a scolding. But her tone betrayed her—there was no anger, only a weary resignation. She knew no persuasion could move a heart burning with such resolve.
And yet, beneath that resignation lingered something unspoken, a trace of fear, a fragile wish—Don't let that fire destroy you.
—————
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