On the special aircraft bound for Barcelona.
Kevin opened the mission details Dr. Mei had transmitted to him.
There were only four simple words on it:
[Come back alive.]
Although Kevin found it inexplicable, feeling that Dr. Mei was hiding something and even suspecting she might be setting him up,
he still accepted it. After all, this was a mission given by Mei, and he had to complete it perfectly.
Rumble—
The aircraft began to taxi along the runway.
Kevin lifted the window shade and looked back at the MOTH base through the cabin window.
The watchtower within the mist flickered on and off.
As if heralding the rise of another storm.
And Kevin was the moth heading straight into its center.
Even knowing the risk of being shattered to pieces, he still chose to go without hesitation.
Thinking of Ato, who had been confined, and Colonel Himeko, whose whereabouts were unknown, Kevin couldn't help but sigh. "This world... is getting more and more chaotic. Even in times of peace without a Honkai Eruption, humanity has never stopped deceiving and harming one another."
"Su... I wonder how you're doing in that organization. Does its leader treat you like a tool and trample over you as well?"
...
When Kevin was around, there was always a self-heating electric warmer by his side.
With his departure, Dr. Mei's office returned to its long-standing chill and emptiness.
"Kevin... I'm sorry."
Dr. Mei wrapped her arms around herself and let out a heavy sigh. Fortunately, Kevin believed that staying in her office was absolutely safe.
Otherwise, he would never have left, no matter how much he was persuaded.
Because...
"You've confirmed Kevin has left, and Elysia has already gone to the third prison."
"Within MOTH, the people who could protect me under your command are no longer here."
"Dr. Newton has been confined, and as for Vill-V and Mobius—they're both fake."
"So, among the higher-ups' targets, the only one left... is me."
"The conclusion is quite clear."
"Come out, Sakura. It's time for us to settle this."
As Dr. Mei's voice fell,
Tap, tap, tap,
Sakura, clad in mechanical armor, stepped out from the shadows, a gleaming steel katana in her hand, slowly walking toward Dr. Mei.
Zzzzt—
As she approached, the surrounding lights seemed to sense the threat and flickered out one after another.
Her steps were light. Every surveillance device and alarm system along her path had already been precisely destroyed.
Even if Dr. Mei wanted to call for help, it was already too late.
And with Sakura's strength within MOTH, few could escape alive from her blade.
Dr. Mei took a deep breath and said,
"The higher-ups of MOTH... gave you a kill order, didn't they? Using your sister's life as leverage?"
At the mention of her sister, Sakura's gaze did not waver in the slightest.
"I'm sorry, Dr. Mei. I will complete my mission..."
Sakura lowered her head slightly.
The polished blade reflected the resolve beneath her eyes.
She offered no further explanation.
Because she believed every choice was her own. No matter good or bad, it had nothing to do with her sister.
Even if she fell into eternal hell, it would be her own sin.
All sins required no justification.
"Very good."
In the dense darkness, Dr. Mei praised her sincerely.
As expected, Sakura was an exceptionally sharp blade. When carrying out a mission, she would not be swayed by any external factors.
Vill-V... is this your plan?
The cold blade pierced through Dr. Mei's chest.
In the silent, icy darkness, warm liquid began to flow.
A crimson electronic glow flickered faintly.
The camera attached to Sakura's mechanical armor recorded everything.
...
The Ke New District, unlike other lifeless districts, was bustling and vibrant as a "Ke"-designated area.
The entire district was themed in cyan and purple. Neon-lit skyscrapers and slowly moving aerial vehicles blocked out the sky.
On the dazzling streets, well-dressed individuals hurried along, some walking mechanical pets.
In the shadows beneath the streets, dim neon lights cast strange, distorted hues on passersby.
Under recruitment posters from major gangs, people fought each other, their spilled blood splattering across the advertisements.
Before the graffiti-covered promotional display of Heliopolis Life Sciences, drugged individuals engaged in unspeakable acts.
From the publicly released information, it wasn't hard to see that Heliopolis Life Sciences, as a trust-like corporation, had completely monopolized all resources in Barcelona—from raw materials to production, sales, and profit distribution.
Those gangs were merely its subordinate enterprises.
No wonder they went through the trouble of registering as companies.
This was how Heliopolis Life Sciences managed gangs—using corporate methods to control and manipulate them.
"What a terrible city."
Vill-V pulled Hua along as they quickly passed through the foul-smelling streets.
This place was even more uncomfortable than the desolate Second District.
Beep—beep—
The roar of an aerial vehicle sounded overhead.
"That's Heliopolis Life Sciences' Mobile Response Unit. Don't look, Hua."
Vill-V warned, "They should be equipped with long-range omnidirectional iris-recognition cameras. They can automatically identify anyone observing their vehicles. Right now, we're undocumented in the Ke District. If we're discovered, it'll be troublesome. We'll have to wait for Bronya to handle that."
After a few steps, Hua suddenly spoke. "Sorry, Vill-V. I still don't quite understand this operation plan."
"That's fine. I'll go over the key points again."
"Our objective this time is to obtain the 'key' entrusted by Heliopolis Life Sciences to a gang for safekeeping."
"Our target is the Ghostfire Syndicate, ranked second among the four major gangs."
"The Ghostfire Syndicate originally came from the Far East. After the Third Honkai Eruption, they fled all the way to Barcelona."
"Because they took in a group of 'talents' from the Far East, they managed to rise again in this chaotic gang war zone."
"They are like ghosts—coming and going without a trace. Riding violent motorcycles, they roam Barcelona 24/7, committing robberies. They have high-speed guerrilla squads. Their modified bikes can even ride on walls. There's no effective way to stop them. Wherever they go, they burn, kill, and loot, leaving nothing behind."
"Because of this, trying to track them down is like carving a mark on a boat to find a lost sword."
"So all we need to do is find a free place to stay."
Hua nodded. "I understand all that. What I don't get is—why a free place? Are we staying there and waiting for the Ghostfire Syndicate to rob us?"
Vill-V asked in return, "Hua, do you think a city ruled by gangs would have free housing?"
Hua rested her chin on her hand and hesitated briefly before answering, "I don't think so."
"Exactly. If that's the case, then why would such a place be free? The answer is obvious."