Standing outside the arcade, Ming Yu was in a state of disarray. How did things turn out like this? His thoughts couldn't help but drift back to the morning.
"Mei, Mei, can we please go to the arcade today? Please~" As soon as the dining table was cleared, Kiana started clinging to Mei's skirt, cajoling her. Her small head swayed from side to side with her body, her two pigtails swinging along.
Father's Day, a day many had been looking forward to, had finally arrived, and a strange atmosphere filled the dormitory. No one brought up the topic, and everyone fell into silence.
Himeko had left early under the pretext of a date. In the past month, she had already been on seven dates. As for the results of those dates, Ming Yu could only chuckle to himself. In any case, after every date, a new bouquet of roses would appear in the dorm. Thanks to Himeko, the entire apartment was often filled with the fragrance of flowers.
Seeing everyone sink into an odd silence, Kiana, full of energy, suggested they go out and have fun. It had to be said, with Kiana's coaxing, a bit of life and vitality inexplicably returned to the dorm.
Although Mei was still feeling a little down, she knew there was nothing she could do to change things right now. Going out for a walk might be a good choice. After a moment of thought, she nodded in agreement. "Bronya and Ming Yu, you two should come with us, right?" Mei asked the other two.
"The Bronya must refresh the arcade's high scores and show them that Metal Gear Bronya is the strongest!" The moment she heard "arcade," Bronya's fighting spirit ignited, her eyes seemingly burning with fire.
"Yeah, okay." Ming Yu thought about it and agreed as well. Although he didn't want to waste time at the arcade, his training state hadn't been great recently. Perhaps a little rest and recreation would be for the best.
Getting their agreement, Mei smiled reservedly. Kiana, on the other hand, looked displeased, muttering, "Why are we bringing these two third wheels? It should just be me and Mei, our own little world~"
Kiana's complaint echoed throughout the dorm's main hall. Mei's face turned red with embarrassment, and she angrily flicked Kiana's forehead. Ming Yu sighed and rubbed his own forehead; this public display of affection was exhausting to watch. Bronya directly summoned Project Bunny, its thick spear hovering menacingly in front of Kiana, as if contemplating where to poke her.
Upon arriving at the arcade, Bronya immediately went off to challenge various high-difficulty games. Kiana pulled Mei to the dance machines, though Ming Yu suspected Kiana simply wanted to watch Mei dance. As for Ming Yu, after failing to get anything from the claw machine ten times in a row, he finally admitted that he might not have a talent for it.
After wandering around the arcade, Ming Yu decided this kind of atmosphere wasn't for him, so he went outside for some fresh air. Just standing at the arcade entrance would be too boring. With the intention of clearing his head and getting to know the city, Ming Yu began to wander aimlessly through the streets.
Suddenly, his eyes lit up. Not far away, in a flower shop, Lia Toreman was picking out flowers. The two had fought many times in training class, with wins and losses on both sides, so they were somewhat familiar with each other. Ming Yu was bored wandering alone, and just as he was thinking about whether to go up and say hello, his body had already unconsciously started walking towards the flower shop.
"Hey, Lia, are you picking out flowers by yourself?" Ming Yu forced himself to go up and greet her. Thinking it over, that seemed like an obvious question. He added, "Is it because of Father's Day?"
The sudden sound of Ming Yu's voice clearly startled Lia, but after a slight tremble, the girl quickly calmed down. She hesitated for a moment, then nodded with a somewhat restrained expression. Although she hadn't expected to meet an acquaintance, after the initial shock, Lia calmed down and quickly selected a large bouquet of white chrysanthemums.
"Is this kind of flower a good choice for a father?" Ming Yu said thoughtfully, rubbing his chin.
After leaving the flower shop, Lia's face returned to its usual coldness. With a chilly voice, she said, "The meaning of white chrysanthemums is mourning. They are for expressing grief."
"Ah?" Ming Yu was taken aback, as if he suddenly understood something. He said in a low voice, "I'm sorry, I didn't know..."
Lia shot Ming Yu a sideways glance and said flatly, "It's been a long time. It has nothing to do with you."
After a pause, Lia spoke again, feigning nonchalance. "Want to come? To the cemetery." She put special emphasis on the word "cemetery," as if afraid Ming Yu hadn't heard her clearly.
Although he didn't know why Lia was inviting him, his curiosity got the better of him. Nodding, Ming Yu said, "It might be good to take a look." He sent a message to Mei with the school-issued phone to explain the situation so they wouldn't worry when they couldn't find him, and then followed Lia.
Under Lia's lead, the two of them walked through streets and alleys, passed through the bustling commercial center, and after more than half an hour, they arrived at a location near the suburbs, where they saw a cemetery called "Haibo Cemetery."
There were very few people in the cemetery, but the trees were lush and dense. Trees eight or nine meters tall were everywhere, their canopies like umbrellas. Even though the sun was shining brightly outside, the cemetery still felt a bit gloomy.
Lia walked ahead. Although she was trying her best to remain calm, her tense body betrayed her nervousness.
So she was scared to come alone, no wonder she dragged me along, Ming Yu grumbled silently.
"We're here," Lia said suddenly, stopping in front of a tombstone. On it was written "Father Ars Toreman" and "Mother Lynn Toreman."
Seeing this confirmed Ming Yu's earlier suspicions. His heart suddenly felt heavy, as if a large stone was lodged in it. He opened his mouth, wanting to say something comforting, but no words came out. He knew Lia was a strong person and wouldn't need his feeble words of comfort.
Without turning to look at Ming Yu behind her, Lia stared at the tombstone, her gaze so intense it seemed as if it could penetrate the stone, see the ashes behind it, and see through the ethereal boundary between life and death.
After a long silence, Lia suddenly spoke. "Did you know? Two years ago today, in the small town of Gernis in Britannia, a Honkai Eruption broke out. Honkai Beasts appeared out of nowhere and attacked the town. The leaking Honkai Energy infected some people, turning them into Honkai Zombies. The people who were lucky enough to escape were slaughtered by the Honkai Beasts and Honkai Zombies. There were mangled limbs and flowing blood everywhere. The entire town was turned into ruins. Everyone died. Dad, Mom, Mas, Pete... everyone died."
Towards the end, Lia's cold voice was trembling. Ming Yu didn't know what kind of hellish scene that was, but Lia was only a fourteen or fifteen-year-old girl at the time. The town she was once familiar with had turned into a purgatory. Seeing familiar people turn into monsters or be killed by them, she could only cry and run, but no one responded. It must have been utterly despairing.
Perhaps wanting to comfort the little girl from two years ago, Ming Yu gently stepped forward and placed a hand on Lia's shoulder.
Even though she was recounting such a terrible story, even though her voice was trembling, there wasn't a single tear in Lia's eyes. All her tears had been shed on that hellish day.
"Thank you," Lia said in a low voice. Although Ming Yu hadn't said a word, Lia understood what he meant. She had carried the burden of what happened in Gernis alone for two years. Perhaps the nightmare of those two years had become too heavy, making her unable to bear it any longer, which was why she wanted to tell someone.
"It was the Principal who was passing by who saved me," Lia continued. The next moment, a fire of vengeance flashed in her beautiful brown eyes. "From that day on, I swore that I would never forget any of this. I will make the Honkai pay back the debt for everyone, bit by bit, no matter the cost!"
From Lia's eyes, Ming Yu knew she had this determination. Even if it cost her life, she would have her revenge on the Honkai.
After offering flowers with Lia, Ming Yu seemed to understand a little better why so many people chose to abandon everything to become Valkyries, to fight against the Honkai, against those Honkai Zombies and Honkai Beasts.
Perhaps it was because some people had been hurt so deeply that even years later, after the wounds had healed, the old injuries would still ache on rainy days. It was precisely to prevent tragedies like Gernis from happening over and over again that this group of brave Valkyries existed.