Shiga lacked the vibrant nightlife of New York; by nightfall, it was mostly quiet, only the occasional flashing lights of patrol cars.
A car sped towards the port. Sakura gripped the steering wheel, lost in thought.
With Sakura's keen observation skills, she always knew what Rin was doing, even hearing the barely suppressed sobs.
Those cries were like knives to her heart, but she never looked back. She knew Rin's survival depended on unwavering resolve.
Regret would come later, after everything ended, when life returned to normal. She would apologize then.
But this was different.
She glanced surreptitiously at the man sleeping beside her, licking her lips. "Ryan, you're a good person."
Ryan opened his eyes, unexpectedly receiving this compliment. He understood the reason.
"No need to thank me. Rin is mature and strong, deserving of such treatment. Even if you died, I would continue protecting her."
Sakura's eyes narrowed for a moment before returning to their calm stillness. This was an unexpected gain; the past few days felt surreal, like a dream.
Initially, she'd brought Ryan to meet Rin as a casual thank you, a necessary step in their mission. She never expected him to stay, let alone befriend Rin.
Ryan wasn't acting; his words were sincere.
Beyond mutual benefit, she found common ground, believing she could entrust Rin to him.
"If you died, I would risk my life to protect Dr. Mobius."
Why would you protect her?
Ryan chuckled, too lazy to explain, and closed his eyes again.
"Then I must survive. I can't cause you more trouble."
"I feel the same."
The car sped into the dock; a yacht was already prepared. According to Sakura, she'd bought it from the black market; it was reliable. She could operate this several-ton vessel alone.
Ryan didn't comment. Using his powers to move required stamina, and he wasn't one for showing off; conserving energy was beneficial.
The yacht quickly departed. Once clear of the harbor, they found numerous vessels anchored offshore, many brightly lit, surprising Ryan.
Fire Moth hadn't expelled these people?
His question was quickly answered. One yacht exceeded its mooring limits, causing him to widen his eyes.
On its deck was an open-air party; heavy metal music and raucous laughter echoed across the night. The vast ocean and sky provided the perfect outlet.
Dog walking, open-air singing, alternating performances, extravagant displays… Ryan's eyes widened.
"Offshore isn't subject to legal jurisdiction; Fire Moth doesn't want to offend anyone. As long as there's no Honkai reaction, no one interferes." Sakura gripped the wheel, staring ahead, ignoring the lively party.
Ryan considered this, instantly understanding. The world amplifies humanity's darkness; their indulgence was also a manifestation of fear.
Those seeking death have nothing left to lose.
If not for Sakura's presence, Ryan would have grabbed binoculars to observe, no, to critique, humanity's depravity. As it was, he ignored it, watching the yacht sail into the inky blackness of the ocean.
There were other boats, but empty, drifting like ghosts on the waves. This wasn't unusual; Ryan had witnessed a couple embracing and jumping into the sea.
Ah, a mass suicide.
"Should we try to save them?"
"Respect others' choices; abandon the heroic rescue narrative." Ryan looked coldly ahead, speaking calmly. "No one can stop someone who wants to die. You've seen enough chaos these past few days."
"Yes. Before the assassination attempt on Vill-V, I was investigating a cult leader who advocated embracing Honkai Beasts to reach heaven, offering atonement packages."
"Ha ha, the world never lacks delusional geniuses." Ryan chuckled. He'd seen the reports; Honkai had always had a religious aspect.
Herrschers were apostles; Honkai sickness was a test; those who resisted faced hell. Fire Moth was overwhelmed, having executed numerous cult leaders who called for attacks on military bases, holding parties, and jumping into the ocean seeming harmless in comparison.
"Faced with despair, humanity seeks explanations, especially those afflicted with Honkai. If they see illness as good news, it's somewhat effective."
"What effect?"
"Psychological. Death doesn't seem as frightening. Each Honkai outbreak is a selection process; the strong survive, the weak perish; only the strong survive to the end." Ryan watched the couple disappear into the waves and yawned.
"I'm going to rest. Wake me when it's time."
Ryan left the control room, not seeking a cabin but finding a secluded spot on the deck, lying down in his clothes. The wind howled fiercely; it wasn't ideal for sleeping.
He couldn't sleep anyway. His goal was clear: gathering Honkai energy was paramount; gathering data was secondary.
He was improving, but the world wasn't static. His battle with Kalpas showed that even Flame-Chasers weren't necessarily allies, let alone the Fusion Warriors under Fire Moth.
"The Soulium development isn't good for me; the power remains with the Fire Moth Council."
The phrase "the strong survive" was a self-reminder. He counted on his fingers: his control over the Herrscher of Thunder's power was refined, but he lacked 'Mana Control.' The inherent abilities of High-Rank Honkai Beasts were also useful.
Without Mosha's mental assault, he couldn't have defeated the Herrscher of Thunder; his daily work wouldn't have been so easy.
Most importantly, Honkai Beasts weren't as extreme as Herrschers; they were numerous and perfect for gaining experience.
"So, our compatibility is excellent."
Ryan licked his lips, closed his eyes, and quickly fell asleep.
The cold wind subsided; as the first rays of sunlight appeared, Ryan opened his eyes. He noticed a fleece blanket draped over him and narrowed his eyes.
Typical assassin; their movements were so subtle, even I didn't notice.
He wrapped the fleece tighter and slowly crawled back inside. Upon entering, he smelled the fragrant aroma of tea.
Sakura had already brewed tea in a thermos; several rice balls sat beside it. She was analyzing intelligence from her notebook; seeing Ryan, she smiled.
"Sleep well?"
"Yes, I've been worrying about things lately; it's been exhausting." Ryan sipped the tea; the flavor was pure and fragrant. "Why did you bring a suitcase? I thought it held weapons or disguises."
"'Cold Cherry' is enough weaponry." The girl patted the long sword at her hip, her tone calm. "There are things to learn from Vill-V; when possible, it's good to relax."
Learn from Vill-V, huh?
Ryan suppressed the urge to swear, glancing at the computer screen showing patterns resembling satellite cloud images, indicating Honkai energy strength based on color.
"What's the situation?"
"Fire Moth used an N1 blast bomb on the island yesterday; the Śeṣa Honkai energy fluctuation has vanished. Fire Moth only has a perimeter blockade; I bypassed it last night." Sakura answered calmly, always serious during battles.
That's the how many N1 blast bombs? This Honkai Beast must have rapid regeneration abilities.
Ryan paced, sipping his tea; this wasn't surprising.
This was Fire Moth's usual method for dealing with High-Rank Honkai Beasts. Given their size, as long as they weren't near populated areas, this was the safest disposal method. Strategic bombing from aircraft; after the explosion, no one wanted their troops to needlessly risk their lives finding remains.
Sakura's infiltration was even simpler. People were actively seeking out Honkai Beasts for salvation; Fire Moth happily used them as scouts. If they lured out a Honkai Beast, another N1 blast bomb followed.
"Śeṣa should be nearby. Using a 100km radius as the center, we'll search for uninhabited islands. We'll check them one by one."
"Understood. I'll plan the route immediately." Sakura didn't waste words, immediately modifying the navigation chart and starting the yacht. Ryan continued to pace, sipping tea and revising the plan.
If it was only Śeṣa, it wasn't a significant problem. But if two Honkai Beasts were together, things would become tricky. And Honkai was unpredictable, always capable of surprising you; the only difference was the scale of the surprise.
Ryan wasn't arrogant despite his power; he was more cautious. This was an experiment for him; he had to take the next step to find out.
Let me see if Honkai has changed because of me.