It wasn't just the residents of Nagazora City. Even far away in Sapphire City, Dystopia, Kevyn, and Sakura eventually sensed it—the surrounding Honkai energy was receding like a falling tide, surging back toward Nagazora.
After clearing the final wave of Honkai Beasts and confirming that the local energy levels had dropped too low to spawn any more monsters, Dystopia tracked down Kevyn and Sakura.
She looked at them with a gravity that didn't quite match her usual self.
"The Honkai energy that scattered from Nagazora after the eruption is being pulled back in. How on earth did your leader pull that off?"
Kevyn and Sakura shared a brief, knowing glance. Neither of them had been privy to Durandal's ultimate plan, so they met the question with a stoic silence.
Seeing that the two young Flame-Chasers weren't going to talk, Dystopia didn't bother trying to figure out if they were playing dumb or just out of the loop.
She waved a hand dismissively. "Fine, I'll just ask her myself later. Given Durandal's style, I doubt she'll be stingy with an answer. Anyway, the main reason I called you over..."
Dystopia rubbed her hands together, her eyes sparkling as she leaned in. "Do you guys know how to join Schicksal? Do I just fill out an application, or do I need a referral or a sponsor or something?"
Kevyn and Sakura: "..."
Wow, they thought. Just... wow.
It seemed the sheer power Durandal displayed during the Third Herrscher's eruption had turned the Fire Moth relief team vice-captain's flickering curiosity into a full-blown career change.
And it wasn't just Dystopia.
Think about it—the news of the Third Honkai Eruption in Nagazora might have been a secret yesterday, but after today, it was common knowledge among those who mattered.
While the information wouldn't filter down to the masses, it was already becoming the hottest topic among the elite few who knew even a fraction of the truth about the Honkai.
Would these people just gossip about how easily Schicksal had handled the disaster?
No. They would be just like Dystopia, immediately pulling every string and calling every favor just to get a foot in Schicksal's door.
After all, the Fire Moth's response to the First and Second Eruptions had been a catastrophic mess of human loss and incompetence.
Comparisons were inevitable, and when you put the two side-by-side, any sane person knew which side they'd rather be on.
As the saying goes, "Fortune and ruin walk hand in hand." Schicksal was now shining in the spotlight, which meant the Fire Moth—looking rather pathetic by comparison—was left in the dark.
Speaking of the Fire Moth, at their headquarters, Chairman Eren had called an emergency session of the Council the moment the Third Eruption showed signs of being resolved.
Even Einstein, all the way in Mu, was required to attend via video conference.
Once all forty councilors were present, Eren signaled his secretary to distribute the prepared dossiers.
"This is..."
Einstein had her own digital copy, which she was currently scrolling through on her laptop.
It was a comprehensive file—everything the Fire Moth had managed to dig up on Schicksal since its inception.
Once everyone had scanned the documents, Chairman Eren spoke, his voice heavy with significance. "As of today, the Third Honkai Eruption broke out in Nagazora City. I assume you are all aware of this?"
Unsurprisingly, no one in the room looked shocked. They had known the moment Durandal requested assistance that the disaster would strike at Schicksal's home base.
In fact, many councilors had been gloating. They didn't think Schicksal had predicted the eruption; they assumed the organization was just incredibly unlucky.
After all, who would be stupid enough to build their headquarters in the center of a future ground zero?
To them, it was a hilarious coincidence. Some, like the mastermind behind the human experimentation labs, had even been secretly praying that Schicksal would be wiped off the map.
In their eyes, a new organization facing a Honkai Eruption was like a tiny rowboat caught in a hurricane—it should have capsized in an instant.
Even with the Fire Moth's "help," it shouldn't have mattered. What could two small squads possibly do?
During the first two eruptions, the Fire Moth had deployed entire armies and suffered staggering casualties just to stabilize the situation.
However, as he looked at Eren's grim expression on the podium, that same councilor couldn't shake a sudden, sinking feeling in his gut.
No, no... that's impossible, he thought, shaking his head. He decided to wait for the Chairman to finish. Besides, his informants in Nagazora should be sending word any minute now. He was dying to hear about Schicksal's tragic demise.
But Eren's next words turned that flicker of doubt into a cold reality.
"Just moments ago, our satellites observed that the Honkai energy—which had spread across East Asia and was threatening the entire continent—is rapidly concentrating and dissipating."
"The epicenter of this phenomenon is Nagazora, specifically Schicksal's confirmed headquarters. As of right now, Honkai levels everywhere except Nagazora have dropped below the danger line."
Eren pointed to the satellite map projected on the screen, his tone grim.
"Impossible! That's absolutely impossible!" the councilor who had escaped with a slap on the wrist for his illegal labs suddenly shouted, standing up in protest.
"Our satellite monitoring must have been hacked! My intelligence says—"
Suddenly, a sharp ping interrupted him. It was a notification from his own phone.
He scrambled to open the message, only to find a report identical to Eren's description. His informant hadn't relied on satellites, but on a Honkai detector he'd provided. The data was undeniable.
The words died in his throat. He stood there, lips trembling, before slumping back into his seat in defeat.
He knew he was finished. Faced with an organization that could solve a global cataclysm in a single day, his past "mistakes" would no longer be ignored.
Even though he'd already been "punished," the Council would now gladly throw him to the wolves just to get on Schicksal's good side.
--+--
T/N: If you want advance chapters, you can find it at [email protected]/AspenTL