Being the overall commander is a thankless job. It represents supreme power and prestige, but also bears an unparalleled amount of pressure.
Ryan thought of Vita, the regret that she couldn't hide during their transaction. The fate of an entire race was left to a small group of people to decide. If something went wrong, it would be more than just failing to live up to the trust.
It would be countless days and nights of regret and reflection, wondering why he didn't act more cautiously.
'Besides, I'm a little different from Vita. She's more like Mei, while I'm equivalent to the collective of the Fire Moth Council.'
Ryan felt the pressure, but his back was still straight. He chose this path himself, and even if it was full of mud pits, he had to keep going. The only hesitation in his heart was something he found difficult to talk about with others.
He knew the fate of the Previous Era. Although it was tragic, the seeds of fire were left behind for the next generation, and they eventually transcended the end. The ending could be considered perfect.
But with Ryan's meddling, plans like the Stigmata Project and the Ark Project simply didn't have the resources to be launched. It was either a great victory or losing everything.
It seems I've lost a lot. I'm bearing such heavy pressure, and I haven't even received my salary many times. Saving the world with a loan—who can understand this pain?
Ryan pinched the bridge of his nose, still maintaining that cold and determined expression.
"I said that the Herrscher's target may have changed. Before, there were heavy losses but no gains. Now, she is focusing more on the destruction of civilization, at least to show her own value."
"What do you mean?"
"If the previous Herrschers hadn't been so fixated on me, how many cities could they have destroyed, and how many warriors could they have killed? Could all of you be standing here unharmed?"
This rhetorical question made everyone sober up. Not many high-level MANTIS had fallen. Among those who had no connection to Ryan, there was only that unlucky fellow from Australia who died at the hands of the Seventh Herrscher.
All the battles revolved around Ryan. He bore most of the pressure. If the Herrschers ignored him and fully displayed their value, at least half of the people present would have died in battle.
"But we are gathered with you, Commander." Owl said hesitantly.
"Yes, but she can wipe out ordinary soldiers and regular MANTIS. She only needs to be out of our sight for one day to kill everyone." Ryan crossed his arms and took the coffee cup handed to him by the person next to him. Seeing that many people had a sudden realization, he was a little relieved.
No one was a fool. According to the characteristics of the Herrscher of Binding, there was no such thing as technical skill or a deathmatch. If you weren't strong enough, you would die instantly.
"So we continue to face off?"
"What else? At least I need to confirm that this is the Herrscher of Binding. If the enemy doesn't move, I won't move. Besides, without Kevin's group, I'm not afraid of her."
The Herrscher of Binding had almost cleared out half of the European continent. Dozens of satellites were watching from the sky. Could it still be a fake?
Many people were unconvinced, but they didn't retort because Ryan's last sentence made it impossible to argue. He had the right to be confident.
"Maintain a 24-hour standby state. If the alarm is triggered, you must move out within five minutes. Anyway, we're not ready yet, and the Herrscher hasn't come to our doorstep. What are you panicking about?"
Ryan's tone was flat, but his gaze was firm, revealing a tone that was beyond doubt. Even if they were unconvinced in their hearts, they could only nod in agreement.
The sound of leather boots echoed. One by one, they left to wait for orders. Ryan thought to himself that these people at least had some sense. Anyone who dared to say, 'The Commander's insight is brilliant,' would get their head blown off.
"Phew, they're finally gone. This serious atmosphere is really scary." Pardofelis went limp, constantly patting her chest, which was just starting to develop.
She was just a harmless little cat, a MANTIS who was pushed into this situation. How could she have ever seen a debate of this level?
"Teacher, I didn't embarrass you, did I? I kept my face straight the whole time."
"It was alright, just a bit too tense. You'll get used to it after a few more times."
"I don't want to get involved in these things. It's so boring."
For this ambitious slacker, Ryan was just helpless. He took a sip of coffee: "Where did Elysia go? Why did she disappear as soon as we got off the plane?"
"Elysia didn't want to come. She said she was most afraid of these serious occasions. In fact, I didn't want to come either. I find it very boring." Eden answered, causing a certain person to roll his eyes.
There were slackers all around him, so he was the only one left to think.
So what to do now?
Ryan stared at the big screen and fell into a kind of confusion. Seeing Eden, he was reminded of the interrupted concert, where Elysia became the protagonist, and he hadn't fulfilled his promise yet.
But now was not the right time. Once he relaxed, it would be difficult to get tense again.
Ryan could distinguish between what was important. He didn't mention returning to the Golden Courtyard, and even though everyone had a key, no one went to open the door lock that Ryan had personally closed.
"Sakura and Hua are crossing the death line, and Blanca is also assisting Mobius. Why don't we help them fulfill their wish?" Aponia said gently, as if making a certain invitation.
Ryan hesitated for a moment, finally understanding what she was talking about. He asked in return, "Haven't Rin and the others left yet? I remember they were supposed to be in the second batch."
"They said they wanted to wait for you to come back and wouldn't leave. I thought it made some sense, so I stopped Mobius from drugging them."
"That's outrageous." Ryan said with a laugh, looking around at everyone. "Then let's all go and see them off. It'll also put them at ease."
The tone was very relaxed, but it was filled with a sense of heaviness. After the farewell, no one could guarantee whether they would ever see each other again in this lifetime. Perhaps this was why Sakura and Hua went to participate in the experiment.
But Ryan was happy to bear this. In the original timeline, Rin had already died in the battle against the Twelfth Herrscher, and Griseo's parents had both passed away. Whenever he thought about it, he felt a sense of accomplishment.
Everyone left the central command center. Anyway, they had information terminals tied to them, so they could check the status of the Herrscher of Binding at any time. Staying in the command center didn't make much sense.
After exiting the pyramid-shaped underground building, passing the central lake filled with warships, they arrived at Sector Z, which was filled with elevators. Red lights flickered, and dozens of giant pillars connected to the ceiling. They could see lights flying upwards and the remaining electric arcs from the electromagnetic catapults.
This was the first time Ryan had been to this area. It was ironic that he was not familiar with his own home base. He used to live a two-point-one-line life between the headquarters and the Golden Courtyard.
It was truly magnificent. Fifteen catapult tracks could send fifteen medium-sized transport planes away at one time, evacuating hundreds of people in a few minutes.
"That group of councillors are truly kings of survival. They probably never thought that one day a certain Herrscher could instantly render these things useless."
As soon as he finished speaking, there was a burst of laughter, especially Aponia, whose eyes curved like crescent moons. According to her precepts, all the Fire Moth councillors should guard the headquarters and fulfill their vows to 'burn themselves for humanity.'
Laughing aside, everyone walked along a wide road into Sector Z. They saw that there were not many people left in the queue to evacuate. The headquarters had become the front line, and all non-essential personnel had already been evacuated and were given priority to be sent to world bubbles for refuge.
Ryan looked up and saw the gray-haired Su from a distance. He wasn't too surprised. Without someone watching them, would those two brats be obedient? It just so happened that Su had a good temper and was the most suitable person to deal with unruly children.
"Yo, Ryan, you're back so soon? Griseo and Rin went to the bathroom. Mr. Fu is with them, so I'm taking a break." Su was still as gentle as ever. He usually kept his eyes half-closed after becoming a MANTIS, but at this moment, he suddenly opened them wide.
He saw the look in Ryan's eyes, which were filled with shock, nostalgia, and doubt. As a mental-type MANTIS, he even felt a hint of... desire?
"Ryan, you just went to the Sea of Quanta. Did your sexual orientation change?" Su immediately became vigilant, crossing his arms over his chest.
When he said this, Eden and the others also looked over in confusion. They indeed saw that Ryan's expression was strange, and they were all at a loss.
Everyone had read the summary of the event. Things unrelated to the plan were not mentioned, and Hua, in particular, regarded this journey as a treasure and refused to talk about it at all.
Wait a minute, Ryan once 'cross-dressed' in the Sunset Street. Could he really... no, how can you explain Mobius? Could it be the legendary two-way plug?
The atmosphere suddenly became very strange. Ryan also came back to his senses and touched his forehead with a bitter smile: "Don't overthink it. I just saw someone in the Sea of Quanta who looks like you."
"A parallel me?" Su participated in the 'Sands of the River' plan, so he was not unfamiliar with parallel worlds.
"That's not it. Anyway, she looks a lot like you, and she's also a beautiful woman with a good face." Ryan gave a wicked smile. Not only did Vita look like Su, but she was also very good at seducing people. That high-slit skirt and gray thigh-high socks were very seductive.
"There's actually such a thing? I wish I could meet her." Su also became interested.
"You'll have a chance in the future. Do you know what my first reaction was when I saw Vita?" Ryan patted his classmate's shoulder and chuckled: "I thought you had fulfilled your promise and became a woman, and the first thing you did was make your brother happy."
"Get lost, I'm not into that!"
"Ryan, please remember your status. You're the overall commander. You should be more elegant."
"Ahem, I don't think it's a bad thing for a teacher to be into that. At least he and Brother Su are both handsome. Ouch, who hit my head!"
"Pardo, [please] hand over all your unhealthy books when you get back."
"No way, Sister Nia!"
Ryan made a joke, and the surroundings became chaotic. Some people were reminding him, some were denouncing him, and some were helping him attract hate. The tension from before had vanished.
Cough, cough, it was worth it to ruin my image like this. You can't be in a state of high alert when you're saying goodbye to your loved ones.
"Brother Ryan!"
With a cheer, he saw Rin and Griseo running towards him. Fu was chasing behind them, telling them to slow down. Then he turned his head and saw an angel with her wings spread, holding two huge stuffed animals, flying over from a distance.
Even though the person who should have come didn't, this gesture of farewell was more than enough.
In an instant, Ryan felt a warmth.
Coming to this Previous Era of Honkai for more than twenty years, the meaning was not in gaining superhuman power, not in dating many girls, and not in changing the fate of many people like a Salvation.
Admittedly, because of his participation, many people who should have died did not, and many who should have become cynical remained optimistic. But after thinking for a moment, he felt that his greatest achievement was:
I have united the Flame-Chasers and built a warm home.
This home was led by him and built together by everyone. Whether it was the short-tempered Kalpas, the lively Pardo, or the silent Sakura, everyone cherished it and had a great time together.
It had nothing to do with power or status. The core of the construction came from love. Even Mobius, a person who was so stubborn and did things her own way, would still be considerate of everyone's feelings.
Thump, thump.
Ryan met two headbutts with his chest and fell to the ground in an exaggerated manner, making the soldiers watching from a distance look shocked. They thought to themselves that these two girls were not ordinary people after all; they actually knocked down the invincible overall commander.
"Alright, alright. You were just laughing, and now you're crying. What am I supposed to say?" Ryan gently stroked the two heads, feeling the clothes on his chest getting wet.
"Wuuu, I was just afraid of not seeing you again." Rin sat on the ground like a duck, wiping away her tears and snot: "My sister is doing something dangerous, and I don't dare to bother her, but I know that once I leave, I might never see you again."
"Griseo is also afraid of not seeing Daddy and Mommy. I'd rather stay here with you."
Both of them were very smart and not greenhouse flowers. Of course, they knew that the world situation was very dangerous, and they were being sent away precisely because they couldn't protect themselves.
"Don't say such willful things. The reason we are staying in a dangerous place is to protect you, isn't it?"
"But I also want to fight, so at least I won't be left behind!"
"How can you say you're being left behind? Everyone has their own meaning to fight. Perhaps it is because we care about you that we will do our best to survive."
For girls this age, what Ryan said was a bit profound, but before they could ask, Elysia had already picked them up, one in each arm.
"Alright, alright. Goodbye is just a prelude to meeting again. Don't cry. Look, what gifts have I prepared for you?"
She stuffed two fluffy stuffed animals into the girls' hands, then hugged their necks and whispered something, which made Rin and Griseo laugh through their tears. Then Pardo also walked over and handed them two coins.
"These are my treasures. I'm lending them to you for now. I'll take them back later, so don't lose them."
"Sister Pardo, they look like bottle caps."
"Hehe, these are very rare Coke coins. They are the most precious treasures in my collection. I was originally planning to bury them in the ground, but now that I think about it, it's safer to give them to you."
Following Pardofelis, everyone else also gave their gifts. Aponia gave two hand-knitted scarves, telling them to be mindful of the cold and warmth in the world bubble. Eden gave them two gems, which looked very expensive.
Disastopia gave a picture frame on behalf of Kosma. Elysia gave them a DV camera, saying they could watch it on the way. The things Sakura and Fu wanted to say were all inside. Only the two excited girls had their mouths twitch when Himeko's gift came. Her gift was two sealed scrolls, which they had to complete before they saw her again.
So everyone was prepared. Elysia, seriously, why didn't you remind me?
Ryan was a bit embarrassed. He was the only one who hadn't prepared anything. He felt all over his body and only had a Divine Key. He couldn't possibly give that away, could he?
Looking at the two pairs of expectant eyes, Ryan, who was chatting with Fu, gave a dry laugh. Fortunately, this didn't stump him.
"Rin, Griseo, and Master, I don't have anything good to give. How about this, I'll give you a sentence." Ryan paused, looking at the transport planes that were constantly being catapulted out, and at the people who were embracing each other and saying goodbye reluctantly.
"I will safely bring the people you love to you."
These words were as heavy as a thousand pounds. People who knew Ryan knew that this man would not make a promise, but what he said would definitely be done.
"Pinky promise?"
"Okay, I promise."
Ryan bent down and made a pinky promise, making the two girls laugh at the same time. Even though they were young, they knew that Ryan's words were as good as his promise, which was indeed the best gift.
The launch track was already preheating. The time to say goodbye had finally come. Ryan stood up a little straighter.
"Master, I'll trouble you to escort them this time."
"Don't give me that. You just think this old man is a burden, don't you?" Fu said with a laugh, stroking his thick beard: "Alright, I'll just be a hindrance staying here. But there's one thing you have to explain to me; otherwise, I won't be at ease."
He didn't need to ask. Ryan knew what he wanted to ask, so he leaned over and whispered in Fu's ear, making the old man's eyes narrow.
"Hahaha, then I can rest assured. You take good care of that girl Hua!"
"Rest assured."
The two men hugged each other and then separated. Fu held the heads of the two girls down.
"Let's go. Don't be so wishy-washy. A man should be decisive!"
"But we're not boys, and Master, your eyes are red."
"Nonsense! I didn't even cry when your mother passed away!"
The three of them walked towards the transport plane. At this moment, a soldier who had been waiting at the gangway went up to them and, without a word, stuffed three small boxes into Fu's hands and then left coldly, leaving the three of them confused. They opened the boxes and found that they contained wood carvings.
The wood carvings were exactly what they looked like. They were lifelike, and the craftsmanship was quite good. Ryan glanced at them and already knew who sent them.
"Kalpas, this guy, why didn't he just come himself?"
"He probably doesn't like this kind of farewell scene, but he was very thoughtful. I was wondering what he was busy with in his room a few days ago." Aponia covered her mouth and laughed. Everyone was used to the straightforward and shy Kalpas.
This was like an unspoken rule of not saying anything even if you saw it. Kalpas was outwardly hot-tempered, but his mind was very delicate. He often did gentle things secretly but would not admit it. A saying was recently circulating:
The Team of Evisceration has no secrets.
This Kalpas, he's really a lot like Mobius.
Ryan smiled as he saw the red light flashing. The two girls in the transport plane window were waving with tears in their eyes, listening to Eden humming 'The Wheel of Dawn' next to them. Before he could wave, he saw the electric arc flashing and the electromagnetic catapult activating.
Whoosh—
In the blink of an eye, the three of them disappeared in front of him. Ryan was stunned for a moment, putting down the hand he had already raised to his chest. He felt a little regretful, but he would just have to make up for it in the future.
"Alright, now we can finally deal with the Herrscher without any worries."
Ryan seemed to be relieved. He turned around and saw that the few people's expressions were all different. After sending off the two noisy little ones, everyone felt that something was missing in their hearts.
"Oh no, I forgot something important." Elysia suddenly slapped her forehead, as if she was about to chase after them. "I forgot to take a group photo."
"Forget it. Kevin and the others aren't here anyway. We can do it later."
"But..."
Ryan interrupted her, his tone firm: "No buts. Everyone will definitely be reunited. We will return to the Golden Courtyard, our Eternal Paradise."
The electric arc disappeared. The usually bustling Sector Z became silent. After everyone left, only Ryan stood quietly here.
On the tactical terminal, the Herrscher of Binding was advancing in a spiral shape, wiping out all living things in her path. The red countdown became exceptionally glaring. Ryan did not look at it. He just stared at the dozens of elevators that had stopped working and slowly turned his head.
"You're a few hours late."
Sakura and Hua walked side by side. They were not much different from before, and there was not much regret on their faces.
"It's enough that you came, senior. If I met my father, we might start arguing again."
"I might feel a little sad if I saw Rin now."
"So you two were deliberately late?" Ryan asked in return. Seeing that they didn't answer, he understood. After all, compared to the members of the Golden Courtyard, they had one more layer of relationship. In the current uncertain future, there was no room for any weakness.
"Forget it. After Mobius gets some experience from you two, everyone will get busy. For a short time, we can only rely on you two."
When Sakura and Hua returned safely, the bottleneck of the artificial collapse was broken. The Fire Moth would soon have a version update.
"But the Herrscher is not a fool. If we want to increase our combat power, it will also bring danger." Sakura said silently. This balance must be broken, and it was undoubtedly best for humanity to do it themselves.
"I have no choice. The Herrscher of Binding is not the end. I have to pave the way for what's to come." Ryan clearly thought of this. He opened his arms and gave the two of them a light hug as a congratulation. "So before I execute this plan, I will first become a MANTIS and give the Herrscher a surprise to slow her down."
Sakura and Hua looked at each other and felt that their worries were too much. Ryan had already considered all aspects. No wonder Mobius didn't put all her attention into the experiment.
"Senior, that platypus is waiting for you."
"Yeah, I'll be right back. You two go to the simulation machine and get more familiar with the artificial collapse. It won't be long before it comes in handy."
"Remember, the news of me undergoing fusion surgery must be kept secret. Anyway, to outsiders, I'm already a MANTIS."
Ryan left with this sentence. This time, Hua did not follow him. She just stood there, looking at the direction her father left.
"You're not going?"
"Yeah, just as a thank you to Mobius. And Sister Sakura, you have the same thought as me." Hua turned her head, a smile appearing on her wooden face.
"Our ultimate goal that we've been fighting for is to let Ryan survive. Anyone can die, but he can't."
Sakura was a little surprised and felt that this piece of wood had become smarter. She just returned a smile.
"That's right. Only if he lives can the people we cherish live. That's why I've already made up my mind to be crushed to pieces."
The resolve to be crushed to pieces?
Hua pursed her lips and turned to leave.
"Coincidentally, me too."