"Mm... thank you."
What caught Carole off guard was that Hua was actually thanking her.
"Eh... why are you thanking me all of a sudden?"
Hua looked at Carole, recalling the time they had spent together. Every smile and frown of Carole's had added so much color to her once dull life. It was Carole who had painted her youth in perfect hues. Whether it was shopping together, watching movies, or sharing meals, all of it had filled Hua with indescribable happiness and contentment.
With sincere gratitude in her voice, Hua said, "I've been very happy at school. I never even dared to hope I could be this happy. It's all thanks to you."
Carole grew a little annoyed. "Hua, have some confidence in yourself. You brought me happiness too."
"Do you think our friendship was all my effort? That just anyone could replace you and become my friend?"
"You're a good girl. Don't credit your own excellence to someone else. That's such a loss for you!"
That's right...
Carole hadn't only made her life brighter and more interesting, she had helped her grow more confident. Everything she was now was inseparable from Carole's influence.
Seeing Hua about to work herself up into another emotional speech, Carole quickly pushed her toward the exit. "Go on, go on. You still need to get to the airport."
"Don't forget to bring the chocolate we made together. Hua's dad will definitely be very happy."
As Hua walked away, Carole murmured an apology so soft it was almost inaudible.
"I'm sorry, Hua. I can't stay with you through the Honkai Eruption. You'll have to be careful on your own..."
...
Hua gazed at the city beneath the night sky. Though her time here had been short, she had spent incredibly happy days in this place. In just a few hours, she would return to her hometown, Pearl City.
Looking at the beautifully wrapped box of chocolate in her hands, Hua thought joyfully, I made a friend, Dad.
Just then, urgent alarms suddenly blared throughout the airport.
"Attention, all passengers! Due to an emergency situation, the airport will be closed immediately. Please remain where you are and follow staff instructions..."
"What's going on?"
Leaning against the airport's floor-to-ceiling window, Hua witnessed a scene she would never forget for the rest of her life.
A massive meteor tore through the clouds and plunged downward, wrapped in lightning and shrieking winds, smashing mercilessly into distant high-rises. An invisible shockwave followed, flipping over surrounding buildings. Skyscrapers toppled one after another like dominoes.
Even more terrifying was that it wasn't just one meteor. They fell like a dense meteor shower, crashing into every corner within sight.
"Is this... the end of the world?"
"Carole!"
The first person Hua thought of was her friend. She immediately ran against the panicked crowd toward the airport entrance.
"Miss, you can't go out!" Security personnel tried to stop her, but Hua moved like a startled hare, slipping through the gap between them. With a vaulting leap, she flipped over the security barrier and sprinted outside without slowing.
Roar!
"Another one of these troublesome zombies." Hua grabbed a traffic cone from the ground and jammed it straight over the zombie's face.
When the zombie shattered the cone and tried to chase after her, several flame-spewing drones and transport robots met it head-on...
More and more monsters appeared before Hua. People were screaming and fleeing everywhere, while airport guards fired guns at Honkai Beasts.
Her unease deepened.
The school was four kilometers from the airport. Even at full speed, it would take her twenty minutes. And by the time she arrived, it might already be too late...
Rumble—
A sudden, overwhelming impact from behind knocked Hua to the ground before she could react. Just before her face hit the pavement, she braced with one arm, rolled sideways to disperse the remaining force, then flipped back to her feet and assumed a stance, staring toward the source of the shockwave.
Only then did she see clearly what those falling "meteors" truly were.
Within the swirling dust stood a suffocatingly pale, towering monster at the airport entrance. The departure hall had already been reduced to rubble beneath it.
The upright beast, supported by thick lower limbs, radiated immense power with every movement. A single slap of its hand crushed everything around it like rotten wood. In its palm, all things were insignificant.
Hua covered her mouth, staring in disbelief at the giant creature rampaging through the airport.
Was this really the world she lived in? What exactly had happened?
There were too many questions, but she had to reach the school as quickly as possible.
Move... faster... Why won't my legs listen to me?
Am I... afraid?
Fortunately, Hua knew what a skilled martial artist should do in moments like this. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. The steady flow of breath within her calmed her inner turmoil. When she opened her eyes again, her gaze was firm.
Carole, wait for me!
Yet when the Honkai Eruption descended, wandering alone was far from wise.
Sure enough, Hua was soon surrounded by a large number of Honkai Beasts.
Just as she was about to be forced into fighting them barehanded, an armed squad escorting civilians happened to pass by and rescued her along the way.
"Thank you for saving me!" Hua said to the green-haired girl before her, who appeared to be the squad leader and was dressed in West Asian attire.
The beautiful girl seemed like a fairy stepping out of ancient legend. Her long green hair resembled strings of gemstones, complementing her fair skin. Her fitted top accentuated her graceful figure, while a silver belt highlighted her slender waist. Her flowing skirt billowed like clouds, revealing her exquisite legs.
Her deep eyes seemed to contain boundless wisdom and mystery, captivating all who met her gaze. An aura of nobility surrounded her, inspiring reverence and leaving no room for irreverence.
That was why Hua could recognize at a glance who the leader was. The girl's presence was simply too extraordinary.
"I am the leader of this squad, Zofia." Zofia extended her hand in invitation. "We plan to head to Sapphire City Airport to await rescue. Miss, would you like to join us?"
Back to Sapphire City Airport? No. She couldn't go back yet. She still hadn't confirmed Carole's whereabouts.
Thinking of this, Hua asked nervously, "Miss Zofia, do you know the situation at Sapphire High School?"
"Sapphire High?" Zofia lowered her head in silence for a moment before replying, "I'm sorry. The survivors from there are all here."
Though she hadn't seen Carole among them earlier, Hua still refused to accept it. She scanned the survivors once more. After confirming that Carole truly was not among them, her expression instantly fell. Her body stiffened like a puppet, and she trembled as she muttered, "No... that's impossible."
Zofia gently patted Hua's shoulder, trying to bring her back to her senses. She had already seen many survivors like this. But the Honkai Eruption would not give them time to slowly recover.
"..."
?!
Unexpectedly, all the strength drained from Hua's body, and she collapsed. Zofia hurried to catch her, but Hua's weight exceeded her expectations. She was dragged down as well, falling on top of Hua.
Thud! Hua's head struck the ground heavily under Zofia's weight, and she lost consciousness.
If Hua had been clear-minded, she would easily have maintained her balance. But now she had lost the support that steadied her heart.
Though skilled in martial arts, she was still an ordinary girl, with fragility and unease like anyone else. Being able to act decisively amid a city ravaged by Honkai Beasts was already remarkable. But once the pillar supporting her actions collapsed, the young girl's heart could no longer bear the burden and crumbled.
"Ow, ow, ow..." Zofia rubbed her forehead where it had collided with Hua's chest and climbed to her feet.
"Ah—sorry!" Seeing the girl unconscious, Zofia panicked and quickly gathered Hua into her arms. "Oh dear... are you alright?"
Hua, her eyes spinning, was in no condition to answer any of Zofia's questions.