Su piloted the aircraft, following the computer's navigation while avoiding various Honkai Beasts along the way as he headed toward the destination.
He had heard that Kevin and Mei were now in Sapphire City, and that one of Vill-V's subordinates had been on the verge of death protecting them.
Vill-V probably wanted to see her one last time, Su thought. At the same time, he did not know whether he would be able to see Kevin and Mei this time.
Upon reaching the destination, they saw the girl who had served under Vill-V lying on the ground. Her body had clearly lost all signs of life. They were still too late.
The ground trembled beneath their feet as Vill-V leapt down from the aircraft. Just as Su was about to offer a few words of comfort, something utterly unexpected happened—when Vill-V saw the scene, she revealed a radiant, healthy smile.
"Ah ha... what's lying on the ground here? Oh no, it's poor... little Ido~"
Though her tone carried sorrow, her expression was lively and jubilant, as though she were celebrating the girl's death.
"Our carefully cultivated Valkyrie seed!"
"To wither like a budding flower while saving Kevin and Mei... how truly... beautiful."
Watching this, Su found himself completely unable to understand. Vill-V had risked danger and deliberately altered their route to come here—was it really just to celebrate her subordinate's death?
And in her words, there was only denial and mockery toward the subordinate, spoken in front of her corpse.
Before Su could erupt in anger and rebuke her, Vill-V skipped lightly over to him.
"Oh... there's even an audience member here, hmm? Why isn't it a kitten? Didn't we agree I'd get to pet a kitten when we came out?"
"Forget it... let's interview Su and hear his thoughts?"
Creeped out by Vill-V's bizarre behavior, Su could not grasp her meaning at all.
"What thoughts?"
"She... little Ido, saved Kevin and Mei. Tell me, should she be saved?"
The answer was obvious. If she could be saved, why wouldn't they save her?
Just as Su was about to speak, Vill-V interrupted him.
"Shh—" Vill-V urgently pressed a finger to her lips. "Don't answer... don't answer!"
Leaning backward, she retreated step by step toward Ido.
"Anyone who answers that question must bear the sin."
"Conductor knows. Lecturer knows. Id knows even more clearly."
"They're all cowards! They possess the power to decide, yet they can't even pull a tiny trigger—whether it was the moment when Akane turned into the Herrscher of Thunder, or this very moment now."
"It doesn't matter. I'll do it—Pure Evil Vill-V will bear the scorn of others. I'll help them shake that trigger and aim it at this pitiful girl... See? Aren't I great?"
"Ahahaha, ahahahaha! A method to save someone, right? Of course I have one!"
"And I don't need Helixcraft's assistance. Everything will be sourced locally! Taken and used on the spot!"
At some unknown moment, a massive crimson curtain rose behind Vill-V. She drew a handgun from her waist and fired it into the air like a starting pistol.
Bang!
Behind the blood-red curtain came the sounds of steam and grinding gears.
Vill-V once again displayed that bright, healthy smile and joyfully announced:
"Dear ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Pure Evil's grand stage! Before the curtain rises, I must honestly inform all of you: beneath the stage lie trapdoors that lead to a needlepoint hell; behind the scenes are mechanisms that are flesh-devouring grinders."
"I promise that every performance is real! Here, you will witness the most authentic magic cutting show!"
"I have unfortunate news for you—the performance has already begun. You can no longer escape. You will personally experience the most deranged magic show of the century's end!"
Suddenly, as Pure Evil gripped the edge of the curtain, she seemed to remember something. In a tone of mock pity, she added to Su:
"Oh dear, I'm so sorry... I wasn't talking about you. How pitiful. For now, you can't participate in my performance."
"Because... audience members at a magic show are better off alive, aren't they?"
With that, Pure Evil yanked down the curtain.
The bloody scene behind it left Su utterly shaken. It was a mountain formed from countless stacked corpses. Disposal robots were continuously swallowing more, and what some of the other machines were doing defied description.
Su's entire body trembled. He covered his eyes and retched. Anyone who witnessed such a horrifying sight would react the same way.
"Su, did you know? Honkai Sickness... can be cured." Pure Evil stepped closer to him.
"As long as antibodies are extracted from the bodies of one thousand Honkai Sickness patients, a single Honkai Sickness patient can be cured."
Spreading her arms wide, Pure Evil cried out, "Look! What a profitable transaction this is! Here, on the stage of the Third Honkai Eruption, there are fresh materials everywhere!"
"Get away! Demon!" Su shouted, waving blindly to drive her off. He had never imagined that the once passionate and flamboyant girl he knew could possess such a mad and vicious side.
Seeing Su grip the aircraft's handle so tightly that it nearly snapped—
"Oh my, why are you angry?"
Vill-V placed her hands on her hips and nodded.
"I understand, I understand. Because bearing the so-called infamy of violating human ethics and becoming a moral criminal despised by all—that is the meaning of my existence..."
Pure Evil Vill-V suddenly tilted her head sharply, accompanied by a harsh crack, and glared at Su.
"Do you think I'd explain it like that? To earn your understanding and sympathy?"
"Of course not! This is enjoyment, you understand? Enjoyment! Would anyone treat enjoyment as suffering and be angry about it?"
"When a person's heart is freed from all shackles, its essence undergoes sublimation. The evolution from monkey to human probably felt something like this! And I... am that new human who has surpassed modern humanity."
The evil and madness laced through Vill-V's voice sent a chill through Su's limbs.
Seeing the unfamiliar look in Su's eyes—and failing to find the expression she wanted—Pure Evil lost some interest.
"Oh~ It seems you still don't quite understand the existence known as 'Vill-V,' do you?"
"How dull. How can an ignorant person comprehend the 'surprise' here?"
"I thought the other Vill-Vs had already grown quite close to you. As Magician said, you truly are a block of wood. It shields you from the arrows of emotion, like a turtle hiding in its shell."
"Or was this distance deliberately arranged by Conductor?"
"Hah, time's up. Scholar's alchemy can refine the most perfect antibody serum."
Using Magician's tone, Pure Evil waved goodbye to Su.
"And my dear audience member, 'Su,' I look forward to our next meeting. I hope you won't still be a turtle by then. I can hardly wait to see you collapse—hahahahaha."
In the next moment, Su felt the aura around Vill-V shift abruptly. It became deep and intellectual, her beautiful eyes filled with profound sorrow.
"Sigh..." Occultist let out a soft breath. Meeting Su's gaze, she spoke gently, "If you wish to curse someone, then curse me. She is right."
"We are too selfish... We can only rely on 'evil deeds' to twist our companion's will and accomplish our own [mission]."