Collapse, but Stand users

When the last colorful flag of the school season was blown away by the wind, the sycamore leaves of Chiyu Academy had already turned pale yellow.

A cool breeze blew across the rooftop in the evening. Kevin leaned against the railing, clutching a can of warm orange soda in his hand. Water droplets from the can dampened his fingertips. It was Mei's favorite flavor, and he had made a special detour to the convenience store outside the school that afternoon to buy it, even letting it cool to the perfect temperature for drinking.

Footsteps came from the stairwell, and Mei came up carrying a thick book, "Advanced Quantum Mechanics," her dark blue backpack strap slung across her shoulder, and the ends of her hair were tinged with the golden light of the setting sun.

"Have you been waiting long?" She walked over to Kevin and lightly touched the soda can in his hand with her fingertips. "I was a little late organizing the experimental data."

“Not long.” Kevin handed her the soda, watching her fingertips move as she pulled the tab—she always used her fingertips to press the tab open with a light touch, unlike him who always had to use his nails to pry it open for ages.

Mei took a sip of soda, the sweetness of oranges mingling with the evening breeze. She looked up at the clock tower in the distance, the hour hand slowly pointing to seven o'clock. "My flight is at eight o'clock tomorrow morning, to the Mu Continent Science Museum. The lecture is at two o'clock in the afternoon."

"I've checked the information at the science museum."

Kevin immediately chimed in, his tone tinged with nervous anticipation, "There's a quantum mechanics exhibit inside, and apparently there's a machine that can simulate particle collisions. You can go check it out. Also, I checked your presentation slides again. All the formulas are fine, but I slowed down the animations on the last few pages as you requested, so the audience can see them more clearly."

Mei turned her head to look at him. The light from the streetlamp fell on his face, revealing his earnest gaze—his blue eyes reflected the distant lights, like they held stars.

She nodded gently, placed the book on the railing, and turned to the chapter on "Quantum Entanglement," which was filled with her annotations: "It can be tried to be applied to the monitoring of collapse energy, but further verification of particle resonance frequency is needed."

“Kevin, you don’t need to do so much for me.” May’s voice was soft, but it reached Kevin’s ears clearly. “You have your own things to do, you don’t need to always revolve around me.”

“I’m not revolving around you,” Kevin hurriedly explained, his fingertips unconsciously tightening their grip on the soda can.

“I am… I think what you are doing is very meaningful. Last time you said that quantum mechanics can help us detect the energy fluctuations of the Herrschers in advance, and I thought that I could do something too.”

He paused, took a deep breath, as if he had made a great decision, "I've thought it through. When you come back from Mu Continent, I'll start studying physics—I'll do research with you, use swordsmanship to protect you during your experiments, and help you process Honkai energy data. I never knew what to do before, but seeing how hard you work to fight the Honkai, I understand that this is the path I want to take."

Mei's eyelashes trembled. She looked down at the annotations on the page, her fingers lightly brushing over the words "Honkai Energy Monitoring".

After a moment, she looked up, her gaze much gentler than usual: "Physics is very difficult. You have to memorize a lot of formulas and do countless experiments. It can be very boring."

“I’m not afraid.” Kevin’s eyes were firm. “When I was practicing swordsmanship, I had to swing my sword a thousand times a day, which was much more tedious than memorizing formulas. Besides, with you teaching me, I’m sure I can learn it well.”

The evening breeze rustled through the rooftop, making the sycamore leaves whisper in the wind, as if providing accompaniment for this conversation.

Looking at Kevin's serious expression, Mei suddenly smiled—this was the first time she had smiled so openly in front of Kevin, not a polite, slight smile, but a smile that made the corners of her eyes crinkle.

She took a small notebook out of her bag and handed it to Kevin: "This is a compilation of physics knowledge points, from basic formulas to experimental procedures. Take a look at it first, and if there's anything you don't understand, we can chat online."

Kevin took the notebook. The cover was dark blue with a small sticker on it—a cartoon figure holding a test tube, much like Mei. He opened to the first page, which was filled with Mei's neat handwriting, even the punctuation was exceptionally clear. His heart felt as sweet as if it were filled with soda, making him happier than winning any sword fight.

The two leaned against the railing, chatting idly.

Mei talked about the history of the Science Museum on the Mu Continent and the lectures her father used to give there; Kevin talked about his days practicing swordsmanship in Europe and the panic he felt when he first encountered a Honkai Beast.

The wind on the rooftop gradually warmed up, and the distant clock tower chimed, indicating it was already nine o'clock in the evening.

"It's time to go back. We have to get up early tomorrow." Mei put away her notebook and handed Kevin the half-finished soda. "Take this and drink it on the way tomorrow."

Kevin took the soda and watched Mei's figure disappear at the top of the stairs. The confusion in his heart completely dissipated—he had finally found his direction. It was not simply about practicing swordsmanship, but about using the sword to protect knowledge, using knowledge to fight against the Honkai, and doing something more meaningful with Mei.

That night, Kevin hid under the covers in his dorm room and video-called Soda using his terminal.

On the screen, Su Gang had just finished writing his medical notes. His grayish-blue hair was a little messy, and his eyes showed some fatigue, but he still answered with a smile: "Kevin? It's so late, aren't you asleep yet?"

“Su, I have something to tell you.” Kevin’s voice was very low, afraid of waking his roommate. “I’ve made up my mind. I want to study physics in the future, do research with Mei, use swordsmanship to protect her while she does experiments, and also help her process Honkai energy data.”

Su paused for a moment, then smiled and said, "That's good."

But as he laughed, his expression softened, and his tone became serious. "But Kevin, have you ever thought about keeping up with May's pace?"

“People who do research are always traveling around, just like Mei’s father. He didn’t even come back to visit during the Chinese New Year.”

"Won't it be difficult for you two to meet? And the Fire Moth will definitely be watching her—her quantum mechanics research is too important to fight the Honkai. If you're with her, won't the Fire Moth target you? And then, what will happen to your relationship..."

Kevin tightened his grip on the terminal, and Su's eyes on the screen were full of worry.

He paused for a moment, then said softly, "I know there are risks, and I know it might be difficult to meet in the future. But I don't want to give up—I want to be with her and do what we think is right. Even if we're far apart in the future, we can chat online, and I can go to her workplace to see her."

Looking at his resolute expression, Su sighed softly: "I support you, but you must be careful. The Moth of Fire is no ordinary organization, and Mebius is an unpredictable person. When you're with Mebius, you must be extra cautious."

“I will.” Kevin nodded. “Thank you, Sue. I feel much better knowing that I can talk to you about this.”

After hanging up the video call, Kevin looked at the notebook in his hand, his fingertips tracing Mei's handwriting, and his heart was filled with strength.

......

The lecture hall of the Mu Continent Science Museum was packed to capacity at 2 p.m. the next day.

The audience included researchers in suits, students with notebooks, and journalists with cameras—all drawn by the name "Professor Mason's daughter," eager to hear what new insights this young physicist could bring to the field of quantum mechanics.

Mei stood on the stage, wearing a white lab coat, her hair tied in a simple ponytail, holding a laser pointer in her hand. Behind her, on the large screen, was her meticulously prepared PowerPoint presentation—the first page read "A Preliminary Exploration of the Application of Quantum Mechanics in Collapse Energy Monitoring," with a background of dynamic images of particle collisions and blue light flowing across the screen, like a real quantum world.

"The core of the quantum entanglement phenomenon lies in the fact that no matter how far apart two entangled particles are, as long as the state of one particle changes, the state of the other particle will also change instantly."

Mei’s voice was clear and firm, and the red dot of the laser pointer landed on the formula on the screen. “I believe that this phenomenon can be applied to Honkai energy monitoring. We can use special particles to create entanglement with Honkai energy, and by monitoring the changes in the state of the particles, we can detect the energy fluctuations of the Herrscher’s arrival in advance, and even pinpoint the Herrscher’s location.”

Quiet murmurs arose from the audience; some nodded in agreement, while others frowned, clearly skeptical of this bold idea.

Mei ignored the comments and continued explaining her research: "I've conducted numerous experiments and discovered that when the Honkai energy concentration exceeds a safe level, the resonant frequency of entangled particles changes significantly, and this change can be precisely detected by instruments..."

Her explanation was clear and logical, covering everything from theory to experimental data and future applications, with each step explained in great detail.

The audience below the stage gradually became attracted by her content, and the discussion disappeared, leaving only the "scratching" sound of pen tip scratching paper and the "click" of camera shutter.

In the shadows at the back of the lecture hall, Möbius leaned back in his chair, holding a pen in his hand, his fingertips twirling unconsciously.

She wore a long black robe with a silver badge pinned to the collar, bearing the words "Firemoth First Research Institute." She had originally only wanted to see just how capable "Professor Mason's daughter" really was, but she hadn't expected that Mason's research direction would coincide perfectly with her own ongoing "Honkai Energy Early Warning System."

“Interesting.” Möbius muttered to himself, a meaningful smile playing on his lips. “Applying quantum entanglement to Honkai energy monitoring is a novel idea. It’s much better than those old researchers who just rely on past knowledge.”

Sitting next to Mebius was Vervier, who had come all the way from Changkong City.

She was wearing a gray overall and holding a notebook filled with various mechanical sketches—she was there because of "quantum mechanics," hoping to see if she could apply quantum technology to her mechanical inventions.

This was the first time she had met Möbius in person. Previously, she had only communicated with him by phone and mobile device. Now, looking at the legendary director of the institute up close, she was filled with curiosity: "I didn't expect Dr. Möbius to be interested in quantum mechanics as well."

Möbius turned his head to look at her, his eyes scrutinizing her: "Vilvie? You're quite well-informed, knowing there's a lecture here."

“I keep a close eye on technological developments,” Velvi said with a smile, drawing a diagram of quantum entanglement in her notebook. “May’s research is very valuable. If we can combine quantum technology with mechanics, we might be able to create a more accurate Honkai energy monitor.”

Möbius raised an eyebrow but didn't reply. Instead, he turned his gaze back to Möbius on the stage—she had already moved on to the experimental data section. Various charts and graphs were displayed on the screen, the data was clear, and the conclusions were rigorous, clearly having been verified through countless experiments.

After the lecture, the audience surrounded her. Some wanted to discuss academic issues with Mei, some wanted to ask her for autographs, and some reporters wanted to interview her.

Mei responded patiently to each question, her voice still gentle, yet carrying an undeniable firmness.

After the crowd dispersed, Möbius stepped forward and blocked Mei's path: "Miss Mei, I am Möbius from the First Research Institute of the Fire Moth. Your lecture was excellent, and I have some questions I would like to discuss with you."

Mei looked at the woman in front of her and was slightly taken aback—she had heard the name "Mebius" before. Her father had mentioned him to her before, saying that he was a brilliant but also exceptionally difficult researcher.

She nodded, her tone calm: "Hello, Dr. Möbius. If there's anything you need to discuss, we can find a place to talk."

Wilvi followed, smiling, and said, "I also have a question to ask Miss Mei. Why don't we go together? I know a nice coffee shop nearby with a quiet atmosphere."

The three of them went to the coffee shop and chose a seat by the window.

The waiter brought over three coffees. Möbius ordered a black coffee, without sugar or milk; Mei ordered a latte with two spoonfuls of sugar; and Velvet ordered a caramel macchiato with an extra cream.

“Your research is very valuable.” Möbius took a sip of coffee and looked at Mei. “The application of quantum entanglement to Honkai energy monitoring, if this direction can be studied in depth, can completely create a precise Honkai energy early warning system to predict the arrival of Herrschers in advance.”

“This is also my next research goal.” Mei nodded. “However, my research still has some problems, such as the instability of entangled particles. In a high-concentration collapse energy environment, they are prone to losing their entanglement state.”

“My research institute can help you solve this problem.” Möbius put down his coffee cup, his tone slightly tempting. “The First Research Institute has the most advanced experimental equipment and the best researchers. As long as you join us, I can provide you with a dedicated laboratory so you can devote yourself to research without worrying about equipment or funding.”

Mei was stunned; she hadn't expected Mebius to directly invite her to join the Fire Moth.

She was silent for a moment, then said softly, "I need to think about it. Joining the Fire Moth means my research will be under your control. I want to know first whether you will interfere with my research direction?"

“I only look at the results, not the process,” Möbius said with a smile. “As long as your research contributes to the fight against the Honkai, I can give you the greatest freedom. Besides, your father has collaborated with the Firemoth before, so you should know that we have the ability to support your research.”

Sitting next to her, Velvi chimed in, "Dr. Mebius is right, the equipment at the First Research Institute is indeed very advanced. I visited there before, and there's a machine that can simulate a high-concentration Honkai energy environment, which will be very helpful for your research on the stability of entangled particles."

Mei looked at Mebius, then at Vervie, and her heart began to waver—her research did indeed need more advanced equipment and more funding. If she could join the Fire Moth, perhaps she could really speed up the research and realize the development of the Honkai Energy Early Warning System as soon as possible.

“I will give you an answer within a week.” Mei ultimately did not agree immediately. “I need to discuss it with my family and think about it some more.”

“No problem.” Mebius took out a business card from her pocket and handed it to Mei. “This is my personal number. You can call me anytime if you’ve thought it through.” She then looked at Velvi. “Your mechanical skills are also quite good. If you’re interested, you can come and take a look at the research institute. Maybe we can have a chance to cooperate.”

Vervi took the business card and said with a smile, "I'll consider it. If I can cooperate with the First Research Institute, my mechanical inventions will definitely reach a new level."

It was already dark when she left the café. Mei looked at the business card in her hand, her heart filled with mixed emotions—joining the Firemoth was an important decision, not only concerning her research but also her and Kevin's future.

She took out her terminal, wanting to send Kevin a message, but didn't know what to say. In the end, she simply typed "The lecture went well, don't worry" and sent it.

Kevin was in his dorm looking at the physics notes Mei had given him when he received the message. Upon seeing it, he immediately replied, "Great! I have so many physics questions to ask you when you get back!"

Unbeknownst to him, Mei was standing on the streets of Mu Dalu, looking at the distant lights, facing a choice that could change her life forever.

In the café, Mebius watched Mei's retreating figure outside the window, a meaningful smile playing on his lips.

She knew that Möbius would eventually accept her invitation—for someone truly passionate about research, advanced equipment and ample funding were the greatest temptations. Meanwhile, Velvey, holding Möbius's business card, pondered whether she should visit the research institute; perhaps her mechanical inventions could indeed find a new breakthrough there.

As night deepened, the lights of Mu Continent scattered like stars.