Honkai: Fire Moth Herrschers

"What should we do?"

Vashak's mind went suddenly blank.

He had always boasted to the young guard about his bravery. Yet even he hadn't realized the truth—people loved to boast about things they once had but had long since lost.

Years spent hiding in the dark, unknown underground had drained him. His complexion turned pale, his spirit shrank, and sunlight became something he feared. The vitality he once carried as a soldier had faded.

Over the years, Vashak had buried himself in plotting and scheming, indulging in the endless battles for power. Each decision, each betrayal, had chipped away at him. He had become a politician—hesitant, calculating, and petty, haggling over every detail.

That decisive, courageous part of him, the soldier he had once been, was gone.

What remained was merely a scarred shell of that man.

This realization struck him now, but it was far too late.

During the Third Honkai Impact, he had sat high in the Chasing Flames One, watching the battle against the Herrscher through an array of detection devices. He had even heard Phamas's final words over the communication channel.

At that time, he didn't have to face the Herrscher directly.

Later, in the Poison Cocoon's office, he had faced Mikael alone. Even with a 270mm railgun pointed at his head, he hadn't shown much fear—or at least, he believed he hadn't.

Thinking about it now, he realized the truth. Subconsciously, he had known Mikael was a rational Herrscher. Based on his previous actions, Mikael wouldn't do anything too outrageous.

That was why he had been so fearless.

But now was different.

The Herrscher was only tens of nautical miles away and could descend upon them at any moment. Vashak could already imagine it—sharp claws tearing through the ten-meter-thick ceiling of the command post, grabbing everyone inside who couldn't escape, and devouring them one by one.

"No... why did I try to imitate Phamas and come to the front lines to oversee the battle?"

In the command post, all eyes were on him. The staff, the strategists, the Karabis siblings, and even Mei—everyone was waiting for him to come up with a solution.

But Vashak just stood there, silent.

The only thing he did was raise a trembling hand to wipe away the cold sweat from his temple.

The Karabis siblings probably thought he was devising a new battle plan, but Mei had already seen through him:

"He's not thinking about anything else. He's using all his strength just to suppress the thought of running away by himself… how pathetic this man is…"

"And what's stopping him from running isn't responsibility or dignity. It's fear. Fear that if he runs, he'll never have the chance to start down the path of power again… how pathetic this man is…"

Indeed, if she was willing to abandon all the equipment and soldiers on Agania Island, the people in the command post, especially Mei, could certainly escape.

But—

If everyone thought like that, who would fight the Honkai?

"Commander, the soldiers on Rota Island have lost contact! The last group sent there encountered a tsunami. Only one person managed to wash ashore!"

"Commander, the sea level around Agania is rising rapidly! It's predicted that one-tenth of Agania's land will be submerged in seawater within six hundred seconds!"

"Commander, if you don't issue an order…"

"Commander..."

"Commander..."

Pro's voice kept urging Vashak. Each word was like a noose tightening around his neck. As Pro's tone became more desperate, the rope seemed to constrict further, making it harder for Vashak to breathe.

The objects in his vision began to blur, their edges glowing with a surreal brightness.

He had to steady himself, pressing both hands firmly on the table to keep his legs from giving out. If he collapsed now, it wouldn't just be his body that crumbled—it would be the end of his ambitions, the death of his path to power.

"What should I do? What should I do? What should I do!"

The frantic thought echoed in his mind.

Then suddenly, he snapped back to reality. Was it important to think about this now?

He needed a battle plan. Right now.

But was it already too late?

It felt like spacing out during an exam, only to look up and realize there were just ten seconds left to hand in the papers. He looked down at his test sheet—his name and class were written neatly, and the questions were complete...

But he hadn't filled in the answers on the multiple-choice sheet!

The best horror game of the year!

He had tried—tried to calm down, to think clearly, to focus. But before he could make any progress, Pro's voice cut through his thoughts like a whip:

"Commander! A Herrscher's reaction has been detected three nautical miles southeast of Rota Island! It seems she really did skip Rota Island and is heading straight for us!"

"Boom."

The last string holding Vashak's mind together snapped.

The Herrscher was practically upon them. The distance between them was thinner than a piece of paper—paper that could be pierced effortlessly by her claws.

Fear consumed him, shattering all reason. His thoughts spiraled into chaos: "What's the point of caring about anything else? The only thing that matters is staying alive!"

Without realizing it, he had already lifted his feet, ready to flee. But then reality hit him like a hammer.

It was too late to run.

At that moment, a voice cut through his panic. Calm, decisive, fast-paced, yet gentle—it rang in his ears like music from the heavens.

"Agania Island should have an energy barrier, right?"

Mei's gaze fell firmly on Karabis.

Karabis was stunned for a moment. Then, after glancing at his younger sister and receiving her subtle nod, he replied, "Yes, but we lack the power equipment of large warships. It can only operate at extremely low power. It shouldn't be very useful."

Mei's mouth twitched slightly. The expression could easily be mistaken for a sneer—and perhaps it was.

No one here knew more about energy barriers than she did.

To be precise, every word Karabis said was true. The energy barrier was indeed limited by the island's inadequate power supply. It could only function at a fraction of its intended strength, which significantly weakened its defensive capabilities.

But the real issue lay in the word "low."

"Low" wasn't a precise measurement. It was an ambiguous, human-defined term.

If one were to call the barrier's strength "high," then yes, a Herrscher could easily shatter it. But if you called it "low," it could still block one or two tsunamis.

Karabis had carefully chosen his words to leave himself room to maneuver. If things went south, he'd have an excuse to shirk responsibility.

These were her teammates. Some were preoccupied with their own thoughts. Others, like Karabis, had already prepared their exit strategies for when blame needed assigning.

Mei sighed inwardly. She wasn't a stranger to these petty games of self-preservation. She had studied history—not in her classes, but through her own obsessive research into humanity's past. She was all too familiar with the political power plays and subtle manipulations that defined human interactions.

But no matter how familiar she was with these games, having them directed at her still left a bitter taste in her mouth.

"But... when disaster strikes, someone has to stand up... and I just happened to be standing here... Since I'm standing here..."

"Commander! The sea level near the area is rising rapidly! It's predicted that one-tenth of Agania will be temporarily submerged in seawater in six hundred seconds!"

Pro's urgent voice cut through Vashak's rambling thoughts. However, as he glanced sideways, his gaze landed on Mei.

This girl—she had taken over Mobius's position. Her authority could be immense or inconsequential, depending on how one viewed it. But right now, it seemed perfectly reasonable for her to assume command. After all, she was the only one who had stepped up.

Noticing this, Mei didn't hesitate any longer.

"Activate the energy barrier immediately. All surface personnel, move underground. Prepare for flooding and prevent water damage."

All eyes turned to Vashak again, waiting for his response.

For two seconds, he stood frozen. Then, almost as if waking from a trance, he shouted, "Do as Dr. Mei says!"

The command room erupted into a flurry of activity. Staff and strategists scrambled to relay orders through their communication devices, coordinating the evacuation and preparations.

Now that Vashak had tacitly ceded command authority, Mei wasted no time taking control.

"Secure all the heavy equipment that can't be moved. Make sure it won't be washed away, and fill it with waterproof explosives!"

"Uh... Dr. Mei, we might not have enough time to secure all of the heavy equipment..."

Pro's voice was cautious, though he clearly didn't understand her intentions.

"Ah… then focus on the most concentrated heavy equipment and load it with explosives!"

With just a few exchanges, they completely bypassed Vashak. To them, the man standing next to Mei might as well have been a pile of air.

Vashak's face turned ashen, but there was nothing he could do.

The truth was unavoidable—his authority had begun to crumble the moment he froze, unable to issue a battle plan.

Now, even Lucien likely held more respect among the front-line soldiers than he did. And Mei, despite being a high schooler, had something he lacked.

She could take action. He couldn't.

With a heavy sigh, Vashak slumped into the metal chair, his tone laced with resignation.

"From now on, Dr. Mei will be in charge of the command!"

The room fell silent for a moment. Then, almost imperceptibly, many people let out quiet sighs of relief. They had feared that Vashak, in his frustration, might clash with Mei, who had already begun assuming command.

Fortunately, that didn't happen.

Mei's lips curved into a faint smile before quickly returning to their neutral state.

In truth, she wasn't confident. When had she ever commanded a battle before?

Her mind drifted back to a conversation she'd had with Kevin, his enthusiastic boasting replaying in her memory:

"Hey! Mei, do you know what the most important quality of a general on an ancient battlefield is?"

"I don't know," she'd replied bluntly.

"Hey! Don't be like that! At least try to guess a few answers!"

"Uh… even if I were to guess, I'd only give you the answer that I think is correct. But it's obvious you want to tell me your answer, Kevin, so why waste my time?"

"Uh… that makes sense! Then, I'll just tell you! The most important thing for a general is decisiveness! The battlefield is ever-changing. When a general is required to give an order, it's much better to do so than to do nothing, regardless of whether the order is good or bad."

"Better than doing nothing, huh…"

That thought stuck with her now.

Her gaze shifted briefly to the Moana Islands, visible on the map. They were perilously close to the spatial rift where Kevin had been sucked in.

Kevin... Mei clenched her fists.

She believed Mikael could protect him—if they met.

She didn't dare let her mind wander to other possibilities—like why Mikael hadn't appeared yet, even though the coordinates weren't that far apart.

If Mikael were here, he could solve all of this with ease… The thought crept in, unbidden.

But Mei quickly pushed it away.

Humans can't always hide under someone else's protection. Even humans themselves must have the power to defeat the Honkai!

Otherwise… all of this would be nothing more than a despairing struggle.

Her fingers twisted slightly as she fought back her hesitation, casting away any lingering doubts.

"Pro," she began, her voice steady and commanding. "For the next orders, I will give you the numbers. You'll notify the corresponding flight squads one by one, and order them to take off with the appropriate amount of fuel and payload."

For the first time, the room seemed to fall into an almost reverent silence.

Mei's decision was final.