Throughout the flight, Aleph and Kurumi tio talk about various things. Only when they were alone could the two catch up. The tter also respected Aleph’s time with his friends, more so when she just came back from years of disappearance.
‘What did I miss out on~?’
Stemming from her desire to catch up, Kurumi adapted this approach. Even though she was ‘attached’ to him, she couldn’t take all of his time, more so when Aleph is busy saving this world.
Of course, it didn’t go unnoticed under Aleph’s sight.
‘...It’s cute…’
This phrase came to his mind once again. It remains unknown how many girls had he said this to, however.
Soon, he arrived in MOTH’s temporary headquarters outside the city. The city was currently filled with undeads and honkai beasts. Uhey wao bomb this pce, the best way to obliterate them without using much resources is through military persohat would spend more resources, however.
Click.
Aleph made sure to disehe suit first before flying using the EM propulsers.
Hum-!
The thin circur reactor on his back started glowing. The tration of honkai energy in his surroundings increased.
‘Just like my inal suit…’
In his neck was a device that reads the brairical signals. It made it possible to trol the battlesuit’s funs with a thought. If it wasn’t there, an artificial intelligence would’ve been required to better use it.
Tap.
Everyone on the nding pad was surprised by Aleph’s arrival. It didn’t st for long as a red-haired woman with a long-sleeved bck dress arrived.
“The headquarters stated you will arrive… Doctor Aleph.”
“It’s nearly been a year, Major Himeko.”
“It is so.”
The one who received him was her than Major Himeko. Most of Fire MOTH's branches had a Major as the highest ranking personnel. She was one of the people responsible for ‘retaking’ cities in this eastern region.
“I haven’t given my thanks yet. Those experimental data were suffit enough to push my studies further.” He said.
“Mn. That was our duty. Doctor Aleph’s tributions were far more than what we gave. It should be us giving our thanks.”
Seeing Himeko speak formally—without her usual ‘aunt’ at and her old-dy ws—Aleph felt a bit startled.
“Ahem. There’s o be this formal. I heard many things about you from Hua.”
“Oh?”
Iably, their versation’s topic shifted to Hua as they walked into the debriefing room.
“Hua is a nice girl. She is always active when it es to saving her rades. Of course, there are dowo it.” Himeko slowly expined. “I have also heard about you from her.”
“Really?”
She o his words before tinuing:
“I am afraid it will take a toll on her. Since we are in this line of work, it’s nearly impossible to save everyone.”
Knowing Aleph’s closeo Hua, Himeko didn’t hesitate to let out her worries. She already said it before to the girl, but the tter didn’t seem to take it into her heart.
If the rades you spent a lot of time with end up getting killed, it could lead to feelings of self-bme.
“I know, I am being nosy with this. But… I have seen enough people wind up like that.”
“...”
Aleph recalled his daily versations with Hua. Most of it got something to do with her daily life as well as questions about martial arts training. There are only a few when it es to her military operations.
Usually, it ends up being summarized into “It went well” or “It went bad, but things went well in the end”.
‘I ed her… I’m thankful enough for Major Himeko to be here.’
Just like the Current Era Himeko, the HIMEKO in front of him cared a lot for her team.
Although she leads aire battalion, they also have a task force when it es to missions that could only be done by a select group of people. Hua beloo that elite group led by her.
“...I uand.” Aleph replied. “I will look into it.”
Hearing his response, Himeko moved onto the more professional matters—that is, Aleph’s purpose for his visit into this region.
“There are emperor-css honkai beasts in several cities. We haven’t received a resupply as of yet…”
The situation painted by Himeko made Aleph frown. Usually, an emperor-css honkai beast warrants a special ammunition supply made of miniaturized nuclear bombs. However, the global situation was extremely dire to the point the supplies were nearly running thin. The logistics are also another problem, something that pushed Aleph to forsake the usual transport ships and go in there alone.
The tactical bombs made of honkai were something that could only be used in desperate situations. Of course, that es with a cost.
Although emperor-css honkai beasts could be killed in this way, the tration of honkai energy would increase. It was a move that sacrificed the future for the present.
To that, the best response is to call in people who are strong enough to deal with the problem without using honkai bombs.
‘One in this city, then…’
For a while, Aleph learned about the frontline in person.
*****
“I see why you didn’t wao e here.”
Kurumi’s voice rang inside Aleph’s head.
“Yeah. Your world is far better than mine. If it weren’t for the honkai…” He muttered before ging the subject. “Anyways, this is only the tip of the iceberg. There’s still that thing on the Moon.”
His fist tightened as he recalled the sixth Herrscher who mao escape in the Sea of Quanta. He doesn’t know whether her power acts like a portal—akin to the Eye of the Deep in the game—or ahing altogether. If it was the tter and she could simultaneously appear out of nowhere, her danger rating bees higher.
For now, he asked Mei to keep a lookout of the pce where she disappeared.
‘She was wronged, but if it es to it…’
“...It’s an uglier ppared to your world.” Aleph ented.
“Hee..? No. There is also an ugly side of my world, too. If it did not have that, my city wouldn’t be filled with dead bodies.”
“Fair point…”
Bam-!
In the midst of the city, a rge honkai beast in the shape of a praying mantis caused a couple of buildings to colpse. Within this desote pce, it served as the ‘warlord’.
“Five days and this much happened. I’ll o visit other pext.”
His crusade against the enemies of the world formally began.
