"Brother, what's wrong? Are you sick? Can we go to the hospital?"
Hearing her brother say this, the little girl became anxious. She clung to the boy's arm with both hands, her voice choked with tears.
"I don't want anyone else! I just want you to be okay, brother!"
In this world, he was the only family she had left. Just the thought of her brother leaving her one day, just like her parents, and never coming back, made her tremble with fear.
"Wenwen, I'm sorry. I misspoke just now. It was my fault."
The boy wanted to pat his sister's head, but he couldn't pull his arm away. So he knelt down and gently touched his forehead to his sister's warm one, speaking softly.
"I just hope, Wenwen, that you can grow up smoothly. Even if one day, I'm suddenly not here, there will be someone to make a clean bed for you, and a warm breakfast when you wake up..."
He couldn't continue, because his sister had bitten his arm hard.
A child's strength is small, and her baby teeth weren't sharp at all. So in the end, it only left a row of faint teeth marks, and nothing else.
"Does it hurt?"
After biting and letting out her anger, the little girl clutched his sleeve and wiped away the remaining saliva, asking with some heartache.
But she didn't look up, not even to see if her brother nodded or shook his head, just muttering in a low voice.
"It serves you right if it hurts..."
The boy looked at his mischievous yet obedient sister quietly. The slight pain in his arm had long since faded, but his heart ached.
He wanted to protect his sister, but he didn't know how much longer he could take care of her like this. A year, two years, or three to five years?
He didn't know.
If he was really gone one day, who could he entrust his sister to?
He didn't know that either...
Although he had joined World Serpent, neither his first impression nor what he had seen and heard since joining the organization could make him feel any sense of belonging or trust. He couldn't possibly entrust his sister to such a dangerous organization.
Then, what about Schicksal?
In the past, he had indeed had such thoughts. After all, during the Manila Honkai Eruption, Schicksal's Valkyries had always fought on the front lines, and he had seen it all with his own eyes. But after the battle a few days ago, this belief had been shaken.
It wasn't just because they had persecuted Lin Wei, but also because he had also seen the dark side of Schicksal with his own eyes. He wasn't at ease entrusting his sister to such an organization.
In that case, who could he entrust her to?
The boy's heart was filled with melancholy, and he couldn't find an answer. After thinking it over, he had still, as if guided by a ghost, brought her to Lin Wei's door. At least, that person was trustworthy...
Although that person was now trapped in the abyss, he believed he would one day return. Because he had seen with his own eyes what incredible miracles he had created, and the boy, his heart still filled with youthful passion, didn't believe such a hero would just disappear completely.
So...
"Carry me," the little girl said, interrupting his thoughts.
"Okay."
The boy smiled gently and turned around. When he felt a small body press against his back, he held her legs firmly with both hands, then slowly stood up and continued to walk forward.
"Brother, if Mr. Lin Wei really lives here, does that mean we came to see him today? It's just a pity he doesn't seem to be home..." the little girl asked innocently.
"Where does Sister Anna live? Can we go and see Sister Anna like this too?"
"..."
The boy's footsteps paused slightly. He asked, "Wenwen, you miss Sister Anna, don't you?"
Like Lin Wei, this was also a name with special meaning for him. There was gratitude for saving him and his sister, and also the budding feelings of a young boy's admiration.
And at the same time, there was confusion and bewilderment about her identity as a "Schicksal Valkyrie" after that conflict had erupted...
For a moment, he didn't even know if he should blame her or pity her.
In short, as a survivor saved by them, and as a member of a hostile organization, he felt he had no right to judge the matter between her and Lin Wei...
"Yeah, I miss her so, so much..." the little girl's thoughts were much simpler than an adult's. She didn't think about those complicated things, just swayed her slender little legs and asked in a small voice, "Brother, can you take me to find her? I want to go and see if she's doing well..."
"...I'm sorry, Wenwen, not now," the boy said apologetically after a moment of silence.
"Brother has a rather special job now. If I get too close rashly, it might cause unnecessary trouble for your Sister Anna. Wenwen doesn't want to make things difficult for her, right?"
A World Serpent operative couldn't casually contact a Schicksal Valkyrie. This was not only to protect himself and his sister, but also to protect the other party. Not causing trouble for them was the only thing a surviving boy, rescued from the ruins by Lin Wei and Anna, could do for them...
"Is that so? What a pity..." the little girl was a little disappointed. Although she didn't understand why her brother found this difficult, she didn't insist.
After experiencing such a major change, she had long since learned to be careful and was no longer as willful as before...
"Mm, Wenwen is a good girl," the boy's heart soured, and his apology to his sister deepened. He said, "Eat well, sleep on time. When you're a little older, I'll take you to find Sister Anna, okay?"
"Okay~"
This non-promise promise was enough to satisfy the little girl.
And so, the boy carried his sister on his back and walked away step by step. Little did they know that behind them, a pair of eyes had been watching him all along.
Rita had not really left, but had just hidden in the shadows, silently observing the siblings.
She had decided to play dumb, but not to be blind. If this boy indeed posed an intolerable danger, the eye she had closed could be opened again.
She had just had a moment of weakness, restraining her curiosity to get to the bottom of things, but she had no intention of neglecting her duties. After all, an accident like Lin Wei was a one-time thing...
Fortunately, the boy's behavior did not touch her red line and was still satisfactory to her.
Although Rita was still concerned about the "special job" he had mentioned, since he had the self-awareness to keep his distance from Anna and would not drag her into a dangerous situation she didn't want to see, then for Lin Wei's sake, she could let him go.
So, after the boy left, Rita silently withdrew her gaze and turned to leave in another direction.
"Take care of yourselves..."
---||---
On the other side, the siblings didn't know they had just passed a non-test test and were walking along the road step by step.
"Brother, where are we going now?" the little girl asked curiously.
"I promised you before that I would take you to visit my school," the boy's expression was slightly bitter.
Not long ago, he had been admitted to a top university in Singapore, and his parents had shown off to all their relatives and friends. He himself was also looking forward to his university life and had been actively working part-time to save up for the first year's tuition.
But now...
The boy shook his head, then pulled himself together a little and said, "Although now... things have changed a little, I can still take you for a walk and a look."
The little girl also cheered up and said happily, "Okay, great!"
And so, a boy carrying a young girl on his back walked toward the subway station according to the signs on the road.
When they reached an intersection, the little girl suddenly tugged on her brother's collar, pointed across the street, and said, "Brother, look, there's a sister over there looking around. Is she in some kind of trouble?"
The boy turned to look. In the direction his sister pointed, there was indeed a girl looking around, her expression bewildered, looking lost.
The boy's heart softened for a moment, and he walked over and asked, "Miss, do you need any help?"
"Ah, thank you, no..."
The girl came back to her senses and was about to refuse, saying "no trouble," but her gaze couldn't help but fall on the boy's metallic mechanical arm. Her eyes suddenly narrowed, and she took a sharp step back, saying sternly, "Are you here to take me back?"
"Wh..."
The boy was stunned, then suddenly understood something. He was about to say something, but the sister on his back spoke first.
"Sister, you've misunderstood. My brother and I just saw you looking around and were worried you might be lost, so we came over to ask."
"..."
Only then did the girl notice the little girl on the boy's back, and her hostility dissipated a little.
"Miss, my sister and I are here looking for someone. We have no ill intentions toward you," Chen Tianwu also took a step back and said in a low voice. "Since you don't need help, we'll take our leave now."
He realized that this chance encounter with the little girl was likely related to World Serpent as well. In that case, it was better to keep a respectful distance.
"Looking for someone? What a coincidence, so am I," the girl was stunned for a moment, then couldn't help but laugh, a hint of sarcasm in her laughter.
She said, "The person we're looking for, it wouldn't be the same person, would it?"
---||---
Ten minutes later, in a coffee shop by the road.
"Is that so? What a coincidence," the girl leaned back lazily in her chair, twirling a pair of scissors between two fingers. She laughed self-deprecatingly and sighed.
"Compared to me, you guys are really lucky..."
"..."
The boy looked at the sharp scissors being flipped up and down restlessly and couldn't help but pull his sister closer behind him. He said, "So, you're also here to find Mr. Lin Wei?"
"Just now, you said that the two sides had roughly exchanged their intentions and resolved the misunderstanding."
"Lin Wei, so that's his name?"
The girl smiled, seeing his concern.
She slowly placed the scissors on the table, the blade not pointing at anything, and said playfully, "It's really interesting. The two people he casually saved... no, three. The three people he casually saved, when they met, found out they were all from World Serpent. What do you think, that guy, is he also some high-ranking executive of World Serpent?"
"...This has nothing to do with my sister," Chen Tianwu said in a low voice, not liking the girl's frivolous tone.
"I'm responsible for intelligence gathering in the organization, and I happen to know a few things. Mr. Lin Wei is definitely not from World Serpent."
He was trying his best to defend him.
"Heh, you really respect him, don't you?" the girl gave him a deep look and smiled.
"Maybe I used to respect him too, but unfortunately I don't remember now. Heh, you see, I've even forgotten his name."
Although she was smiling, Chen Tianwu could see clearly that there was not a trace of a smile in the girl's eyes. They were empty and deep, sending a chill down his spine.
"You..."
"Oh, it's nothing. I just happened to meet him once before, and then I realized some facts," the girl's expression returned to normal in an instant.
She snapped her fingers, pointed around, and smiled.
"That man named Lin Wei is the only clue I can find at the moment. I followed it and found this place. When I was standing at this intersection, I vaguely felt it was familiar, as if I had been here before. At that moment, I realized I had come to the right place, and my memory had definitely been tampered with."
She spoke of an extremely cruel fact with a smiling tone. In Chen Tianwu's eyes, this seemingly weak girl looked like a monster.
"What's wrong, scared?" the girl noticed the boy's strangeness and smiled.
"Don't tell me you're worried your memory has also been tampered with?"
"..."
The boy was silent for a moment.
The girl looked at him and suddenly smiled again. "Your name is Chen Tianwu, right?"
"Yes," the boy nodded.
"You said just now that you're responsible for intelligence gathering, right?" the girl pressed.
"..."
The boy was instantly on guard and remained silent.
"Hey, don't be so tense, relax," the girl's lips curled into a dangerous arc.
She leaned forward slightly, almost lying on the table, and whispered seductively, "I just suddenly had an idea. This intelligence expert, would you like to cooperate with me and investigate some important matters? For example..."
The girl drew out her voice, then suddenly said, "The truth about the Manila Honkai Eruption—or something like that?"
"!"
The word hit the boy's brain like a thunderclap, making him feel a blankness in his mind. He said with difficulty, "What do you mean?"
"What do I mean? The literal meaning, of course~"
Seeing the prey take the bait so easily, the girl leaned back in her chair and said calmly, "You should also know that the Second Honkai Eruption that happened in Nagazora was a man-made disaster. But have you ever thought about a question—the Honkai Eruption that happened in your hometown, Manila, was on a scale no smaller than the so-called 'Third Honkai Eruption,' but it wasn't listed as the 'Fourth Honkai Eruption,' and not a single survivor was born from it. Don't you think that's strange?"
"..."
These words hit the boy's head like a heavy hammer, making him dizzy.
"Are you saying..."
The tragedy that had taken everything from him was also a man-made conspiracy?
The moment this unbelievable thought arose, it took deep root in his heart, almost driving him mad.
"I am one of the few survivors of Nagazora. I lost my family, lost everything, even lost my memory and dignity..." the girl's voice turned cold.
She said, "I want to find out the truth of what happened then, and make the mastermind behind it all pay a painful price! It's just that I'm alone and weak, and it's hard for me to really do it..."
The next second, the girl's voice became lively again. She extended a hand to the boy and said, "So, what do you say, want to join me? Let's find out the truth together and take revenge on the executioner who destroyed our hometown?"
Chen Tianwu was so dizzy from the news that he extended a trembling hand and shook the girl's cool hand tightly.
If the truth was really as she said, then he had no reason to refuse!
"Deal, happy cooperation!"
The girl smiled, her fingers hooking slightly, holding the boy's warm hand tightly.
"Let me introduce myself. My name is Liu Luyun. 'Lu' as in 'love,' and 'yun' as in 'the clouds part and the fog clears'."
---||---
The undercurrents were surging on this side of the ocean, but on the other side, far across the ocean, it was calm and peaceful.
Coral Island, an artificial island city located on the equator. There was no wind all year round, and the sea was calm and mirror-like.
The midday sun was scorching, and the beach was almost empty. In such a hot place, at such a hot time of day, everyone was hiding at home, unwilling to bear the scorching heat.
But there were always a few people who would gladly endure the unbearable heat, quietly enjoying this moment of peace.
On the calm beach, a well-built girl leaned against a reef, quietly looking at the blue, mirror-like sea in front of her, silent for a long time, unmoving.
She held a heart-shaped pendant tightly in her hand. Its color was as blue and deep as the sea in front of her, like the heart of the ocean itself.
It was just that, for some reason, the pendant in her hand seemed to be missing a half, both incomplete and yet whole.
Anna sat here quietly for who knows how long, as if from morning to night, and then to another morning...
She of course remembered this place. This was where Lin Wei had parted the sea and landed on the shore, and it was also the coast where she had sent him off.
She just looked at the sea in front of her, as if waiting for it to part before her again. This time, she wanted to be the first to welcome him.
But unfortunately, she also knew that this was no longer possible...
Anna sighed softly, gently raised a hand, and looked at the heart-shaped pendant that was crystal clear in the sunlight for a long time, her heart filled with mixed feelings.
Fate, she thought self-deprecatingly...
"Captain!"
Behind her, a girl stood in the distance and waved at Anna on the beach, shouting, "It's getting late. We should start today's patrol!"
"Okay, I know!" Anna replied loudly.
The next second, she stood up from the reef, closed her eyes, and took a deep breath. The weak, fragile feeling from before instantly disappeared.
Then, she gently tied the half-heart-shaped pendant around her neck, took one last deep look at the sea that would forever remain in her heart, then turned gently and strode away without any reluctance.
"Let's go, Seni," Anna said, gently ruffling the girl's hair, and asked with a smile, "What do you want to eat tonight?"
"Ooh... Captain, you can cook?" Seni grumbled, protecting her messed-up hair, and asked curiously.
"...I was asking about pastries, pastries!" Anna glared at her and said, then her brow relaxed, and she smiled. "But, cooking, it's not like I can't learn."
There were many things she wanted to do, many things she wanted to try, as long as it could add a small touch of color to her small world.
"..."
But Seni didn't tease her anymore. She looked at Anna with some heartache and said, "Captain, you've changed so much..."
"Have I?"
Anna was stunned for a moment, then she tapped her on the head good-naturedly.
"Nonsense..."
Then, she walked to the side of the road and skillfully mounted a powerful-looking motorcycle, waving at the girl behind her.
"Get on."
"Oh, coming!" Seni replied and obediently followed, skillfully getting on behind her.
"Vroom... vroom..."
Anna gripped the handlebars, feeling the vibration and power from the motorcycle that had once belonged to her captain. She smiled and reminded her, "Hold on tight."
Then, she twisted the throttle all the way, and the vehicle shot out like an arrow from a bow.
"Aaaah, slow down!" Seni shouted from behind.
"I haven't put on my helmet yet!"
(End of Volume V: Smash him for me!)