I've already said this isn't a life simulator!

"Really?"

Mei raised an eyebrow, somewhat surprised.

"Yes, after all... saying any more would be dangerous for both of us."

"Too."

Considering Sakura and his identity, Mei quickly figured out the key point.

"Then... it's a pleasure to work with you."

"It's a pleasure working with you, Dr. Mei."

Chapter Twenty: I Will Never Point the Blade at You

News of Dr. Mei's assassination attempt quickly spread within the Firefly, with rumors even suggesting that the assassin was an internal member of the Firefly organization.

Although the assassin's identity has not been revealed, given Sakura's disappearance and the fact that even you have been suspended from your duties and are under investigation, it's not hard for everyone to guess who the assassin is.

Soon after, May and Möbius held a meeting to discuss the incident and how to handle it. Others also offered their suggestions and expressed concern for May's situation.

Everyone tacitly avoided discussing "who exactly wanted to assassinate Dr. Mei," since everyone knew the truth, and bringing it up would only lead to a falling out, which wouldn't be good for anyone.

At the end of the meeting, one member said, "Why don't we set up a special team to handle these kinds of things? A team specifically for internal incidents like the assassination of important members of the Firemoth. These kinds of malicious incidents need to be handled by specialists. After all, we are heroes at the forefront of the fight against the Honkai. This kind of backstabbing can be considered a betrayal, right? And traitors... need to be eliminated, right?"

Everyone knew that these were members of the "poisonous pupa," who had always wanted to expand their influence. They had been trying to control the "dark side" of the Moth Chaser using their own methods, and this time, they naturally seized the opportunity to take a big bite out of others and carve out a slice of the power pie.

[Logically, this proposal shouldn't have been approved, since it would have meant that the irregular method of "labeling someone a traitor and then killing them" was officially brought to the forefront and became a method that anyone could use. But... unexpectedly, a group of people, represented by May and Möbius, agreed to it.]

[Not only that, May publicly stated that "perhaps everyone should also have some highly skilled members by their side to prevent assassinations from happening again." She also told others that Kevin would be responsible for their safety when he was not on a mission, while Sakura would be responsible when Kevin was away. As for Dr. Möbius, since he rarely left the laboratory, he was not assigned any, but someone would accompany him when he went out.]

[It's called protection, but it's really just surveillance... Everyone understands this, but no one dares to openly object, because it's only natural for Mei, as the "victim," to make this suggestion. Plus, she can choose the personnel assigned to her, so it's not considered too excessive.]

Thus, by a narrow margin, the proposal was passed, and the special unit "Poison Chrysalis" was officially established—the name was simply copied directly from the original unit.

Meanwhile, everyone in the upper echelons was aware of one thing—Mei and the others had joined forces with the Poison Chrysalis. To the point that the Poison Chrysalis was willing to break up your partnership with Sakura, specifically assigning one person to protect Mei. It's even possible that they orchestrated this assassination attempt, using it as an excuse to take what they wanted.

[Mei and Möbius, along with other researchers, have found peace and can now focus on their plans and continue their research without worrying about being stabbed in the back while fighting the Honkai, as doing so could potentially invite retaliation from the "poisonous pupa."]

[The poisonous pupa gained a formal voice, escaping its previous awkward position where anyone could boss it around, after all, it had a group of scientific scholars, including May and Möbius, backing it up.]

At this moment, they had no choice but to restrain their own methods, take the two allies seriously, and treat them accordingly.

As for you and Sakura, after the meeting ended and the proposal took effect, you resumed your normal lives, which were slightly different from before. Sakura became Mei and Möbius's bodyguards and was also registered in the "Poison Chrysalis" unit, while you were reinstated to your original position and were also registered in the "Poison Chrysalis" unit.

[As expected, there's nothing surprising about it. Apart from the fact that you and Sakura have fewer opportunities to meet, everything is fine. Even Rin has been taken to the Fire Moths, so Sakura can go back to see her whenever she has time.]

Of course, people who vaguely guessed your and Sakura's past identities gradually reduced their contact with you, and many people unconsciously began to distance themselves from you. Of course, there were also some people who didn't show any reaction... like Alicia.

She's still as cheerful as ever, and even more caring towards you after that day.

However, like Hen, she has developed a bad habit—she always tries to steal your candy box when she meets you, and you enjoy playing this little game with her, confident that you won't let her get it.

Absolutely not.

[In this atmosphere that was a mixture of lightness and tension, time gradually passed, and then came—the Sixth Herrscher.]

----------

The wind, carrying the coolness of the night, gently blows by, and as it passes through the quiet streets, it quietly steals away the remaining human presence, carrying it far away.

"........."

Xi Wang moved quickly using the buildings as cover, glancing at the quiet street.

He remembered this place; he had been here once during a mission. Back then, it was bustling with people, shoulder to shoulder, crowding the fairly wide street. Shop employees enthusiastically introduced the products to customers, and the restaurant kitchens were bustling with activity.

Children were playing in the square, skating wobbly through the crowd. Elderly people danced to the music, their rhythmic movements attracting the attention of onlookers. The children's laughter and the square dance songs mingled together, creating a lively atmosphere. Couples who had finished shopping sat in a quiet corner, resting and whispering to each other, occasionally playfully teasing each other over small gestures.

Even three days ago, this place was still the same. As the most bustling commercial street in the area, tens of thousands of people walked through it every day, playing and enjoying themselves, adding to the hustle and bustle of the place. Even the high-hanging moon could not stop them.

Now, however, the place is deathly silent. Even Xi Wang's footsteps sound noisy, the wind blowing by is turbulent, and even his own heartbeat is clear.

but……

So be it.

Xi Wang withdrew her gaze, her eyes as calm as a lake.

He simply quickened his pace slightly, heading towards that place, the place where the person he cared about was.

boom--!

A sound could be heard from afar, gradually fading away before echoing through the quiet street.

"...Wang, you've come."

Xi Wang gently landed beside her, and she nodded, maintaining her smile as she spoke.

"Operation was a success!"

"Hmm... what's wrong with him?"

Xi Wang glanced at the billboard on the street, which had a clear scarlet fist mark on it, and then her gaze settled on Kevin.

"Wang...you've arrived. Where are your teammates? Where are they? Are the others still there?"

Upon seeing Xi Wang arrive, Kevin hurriedly asked, his panicked tone as if he had grasped at some kind of lifeline.

"...They're all dead."

Upon seeing his appearance, Xi Wang hesitated for a moment before truthfully explaining the situation.

They are soldiers, and there's no need for them to hide things from each other—besides, these kinds of casualties can't be hidden anyway; he'll find out when he gets back to base.

“I’m the only one in the team who’s still alive and able to move. Considering that you two are still in the center, I came to check on the situation.”

To protect Kevin's fragile state of mind, Xi Wang slightly revised her wording to avoid hurting him further.

"They're all dead... Ah, yes... I knew it..."

Kevin was somewhat dazed. This was something he already knew and had already guessed, but when he saw Xi Wang arrive, he still hoped to get news that "there were other survivors."

But that's impossible. Under that level of Honkai energy eruption, very few people could survive. The fact that the three of them can still stand here and chat shows that their physical condition is incredibly strong.

"It's all...my fault..."

Kevin swayed and had to grab onto a billboard to avoid falling. Then, his hand unconsciously tightened, leaving another grip mark on the billboard.

"...Should I tell him that even if no one is here, he still has to pay for the damage?"

Xi Wang turned to look at Alicia and asked in confusion.

"........."

"Haha~"

Alicia covered her mouth and chuckled twice, and the originally heavy atmosphere dissipated a little at this moment.

"...Don't say that, Kevin."

Alicia said softly.

"These people's deaths are certainly your fault, but... they are also mine."

"……What happened?"

Xi Wang frowned and asked.

"...In the final moments before the victory was achieved, the Sixth Herrscher displayed...human emotions."

Alicia spoke slowly.

“We’ve never encountered anything like this before, so Kevin…”

"So I hesitated and let her take the city with her before she died."

Kevin's voice rang out from the side, taking over Alicia's words.

"The people around us, all the innocent ordinary people, died just like that."

"They did nothing, they did nothing wrong, just because of me, a complete stranger, their lives ended just like that, they vanished so easily, without even a body..."

"I killed them..."

Because of my own hesitation.

"Oh."

pat-

Xi Wang responded calmly, then took out his candy box and put a candy in it for himself.

His attitude seemed to say—that's it?

"...But you are also the one who killed the Sixth Herrscher and ended this catastrophe."

Alicia gave him a reproachful look, then spoke softly.

"........."

“It’s okay, Kevin. If it were me, the outcome wouldn’t have changed either… The same questions would have arisen in my mind, and I would have hesitated and doubted because of it, and I… would have made the same choice as you.”

Alicia tried her best to comfort Kevin, and of course, she meant it sincerely.

"........."

Kevin shifted his gaze to Xi Wang—who was sitting to the side, eating candy and enjoying the cool night breeze…or perhaps he was simply daydreaming.

"Don't look at me, I have no right to speak since I haven't personally experienced the situation."

Noticing Kevin's gaze, Xi Wang simply said something calmly and indifferently, seemingly unconcerned about it all.

If it were him, he would pull the trigger without hesitation... After all, he wouldn't care about such things, and probably wouldn't even have any questions.

Seeing Xi Wang like this, Kevin couldn't help but have this thought.

If it were him, he would have killed her cleanly and efficiently, and none of this would have happened...

pat--!

With a very loud bang, Xi Wang slammed the candy box shut in her hand, responding to Kevin with a look of utter disdain.

What's with that look in your eyes?

"........."