As the easternmost island nation, the Far East's best escape route—unless one intended to cross the Pacific to North America—was naturally the Shenzhou mainland to the west.
Vill-V and Su were speeding across the vast ocean in a motorboat, their destination Sapphire City, the closest major city to the Far East. This had been Vill-V's arrangement. If everyone fled the Honkai-affected region in the same direction, they could at least provide mutual support.
They could have chosen to follow the coastline by boat, resupplying along the way toward southern Shenzhou. But encountering Honkai Beasts at sea would be even more terrifying. Neither Vill-V nor Su had any desire to experience the horror of the deep ocean.
Moreover, Vill-V had made numerous preparations in Sapphire City, and Hua was there as well. There was no way she would abandon Hua and head elsewhere.
The clouds overhead were so heavy they seemed ready to unleash a storm at any moment, capsizing their tiny vessel.
A shadow of gloom hung over Su's face—not because the storm might come, but because it already had.
Earlier, besides Vill-V and Su, there had been many other motorboats, cruise ships, and cargo vessels. They were all survivors who had gradually departed from the Far East's western coastline, hoping to cross the East Sea and reach Shenzhou.
Then a sky filled with thunderbolts descended. Those ships were all dragged beneath the dark ocean.
The motorboat Su rode in had in fact been modified by Vill-V from a submarine. It had submerged in time, narrowly avoiding the terrifying lightning storm.
Thanks to the benevolent sea, which absorbed the lightning that fell into it.
But the water was no safer.
Through flashes of lightning during the storm, Su had vaguely glimpsed enormous Honkai Beasts lurking in the murky depths.
Even now, unease gnawed at him. He feared their small craft would be noticed and swallowed by some colossal monster.
At present, however, those beasts were busy devouring the survivors who had fallen into the sea. Blood stained the ocean's surface. Corpses and shattered ship fragments drifted everywhere, conveniently concealing the trail of their insignificant boat.
Su wanted to close his eyes and block out the horrific sight, but to guard against any deep-sea attack, he forced himself to keep watch.
Behind him, he noticed Vill-V's expression waver with uncertainty—not fear, but something unspoken.
The moment Ido had removed her Honkai suppressor, Lecturer had issued a warning. Vill-V now knew that something critical had happened on Ido's side.
Fully unwrapping the Honkai-suppressing bandage was undoubtedly the worst possible choice. Honkai erosion would show her no mercy.
And Vill-V knew exactly why Ido had done it—to obtain the power of the Honkai. That was a bargain with the devil. The tremendous boost in strength came hand in hand with the danger of excess Honkai energy, accelerating the erosion.
To suppress Honkai Sickness, the [Moon Ring Project] led by Expert had been devised—modeled after the [Moon Ring] device from the Honkai game [A Post-Honkai Odyssey]. It converted Honkai energy into other forms of energy to restrain the disease.
At present, Expert believed this line of research had reached its limit. The bandage on Ido's arm represented the pinnacle of what could be achieved—only slowing the spread of Honkai energy. Further advancement would require entirely new technological support.
The [Honkai Energy Neutralizer] developed by Scholar could only eliminate external Honkai energy. It sufficed for protection in high-energy environments but was largely ineffective against Honkai Sickness that had already infiltrated the cells.
According to Vill-V's current research, once half of the body's cells were eroded by Honkai energy, Ido Vya's survival would become exceedingly unlikely.
Within the mental conference presided over by Id, Conductor let out a long sigh.
"This 'accident' has exceeded the scope of the plan."
The preparations had been thorough.
Yet plans rarely kept pace with reality.
If even one of Pardo's or Ido's flight devices had remained operational, it would have sufficed to carry Kevin and Mei out of the danger zone. Without burdens, the two of them were second to none at escaping.
Who would have thought both their flight devices would be destroyed at once? As expected, the two of them were maxed out in unpredictability.
Still, they could not shoulder all the blame. Vill-V herself had failed to factor their unpredictability into the calculations. Though if an accident could be fully accounted for, it would no longer be an accident.
Conductor added helplessly, "According to my calculations, if Kevin and Mei are left entirely to fate, there's an eighty percent probability of unforeseen complications. To ensure a smooth future, we must intervene."
"You've seen MOTH's reinforcements. They've already been wiped out. We can't exactly expect Kevin to smash a twenty-meter Chariot-class Honkai Beast with a baseball bat."
In the original storyline, MOTH had dispatched agents in black immediately after the Honkai broke out to assist Kevin and Mei's escape.
But in reality? Forget agents in black. Even the professional soldiers tasked with transmitting intelligence for MOTH had been annihilated at the outset.
Rescue aircraft? Struck down by lightning.
Armored vehicles? The Honkai Beasts would be more than willing to compare whose armor was thicker.
Ships? One only had to look at the wreckage littering the sea.
Only Vill-V's small aircraft and modified submarine had any chance of evading the Honkai Beasts and escaping the Far East.
Would MOTH truly prepare such measures in advance solely to retrieve Kevin and Mei?
Neither the mole embedded within MOTH nor Conductor Vill-V had detected any such arrangement. And none dared gamble that the storyline would not change.
Besides, had Vill-V not suppressed the Herrscher for so long, they would not even have had the opportunity to flee.
Did anyone truly think a Herrscher would benevolently allow you to run four hundred kilometers before beginning the slaughter?
Id understood that Conductor had already done everything possible. Still, a trace of sorrow lingered.
"Ido Vya... She wished to mend the regrets of the Previous Era, yet in doing so has created new regrets..."
Id liked Ido Vya.
Not merely because she liked beautiful girls.
Well... actually, yes, because Ido was a beautiful girl—one of the top-tier kind, practically protagonist material.
"Shall we terminate the [Project Valkyrie]?" Expert asked regretfully. "I had high expectations for that promising project."
Anyone who knew Expert understood that what she regretted was not the project itself. Expert always concealed emotion beneath responsibility.
Magician sighed theatrically. "What a pity. I still wanted to see little Ido's surprised expression a few more times."
Losing an audience for one's performance was lonely.
Magician disliked loneliness.
"A maiden who rescues the suffering, consigned at last to deepest darkness. O wondrous Zeus, guide her soul to the stars." Occultist murmured in cryptic prayer.
Among all personalities, Lecturer shared the closest bond with Ido. This was not the quantum computer Lecturer—but Vill-V's true personality, Lecturer.
Lecturer excelled at writing plays and valued inheritance and innovation. She cherished emotional connections with others and could guide the other personalities like a lighthouse toward some distant, obscured goal hidden in heavy mist.
If Conductor represented Vill-V's rational, outward face, then Lecturer was her emotional counterpart.
Though none of the Vill-Vs heard Lecturer speak in panic, they could feel her sorrow—just as on the day they learned two members had fallen in duty. As Vill-V's emotional side, she bore far more weight than the others.
After a long silence, Lecturer finally addressed Id.
"Let Pure Evil come out."
"If we have no solution, she may."
Id hesitated. "Lecturer... you know the consequences of Pure Evil's emergence."
Conductor agreed and added, "Pure Evil's essence is far more complex than what the Honkai game describes as Vill-V's 'confidence,' 'arrogance,' and 'inspiration.'"
"Only 'Pure Evil' truly captures her style."
"Unless it is a life-or-death final moment, Pure Evil's methods are inherently uncontrollable."
Lecturer spoke frankly. "I know. But our future plans also require the [Project Valkyrie], do they not?"
"And do you remember what the original Vill-V once said in the Honkai game..."
"'I am Legion.'"
No further explanation was needed. Those four words alone conveyed everything. Every Vill-V understood their meaning.
"You're right. Pure Evil is also a part of Vill-V. We should trust her..."
Id nodded, making the decision on behalf of them all.
"Then tell Pure Evil that if she heals Ido, she'll be rewarded with permission to pat Pardo. That might restrain her behavior," Conductor suggested.