Unlike Kiana, a genius who could survive a large-scale Honkai eruption at a young age without systematic Valkyrie training; unlike Raiden Mei, a Herrscher who could command lightning and easily defeat super-giant Honkai Beasts; and unlike Evan, a hero who seemed born to fight the Honkai, surviving in a Honkai-ravaged world as a male and personally changing the course of the Third Honkai Eruption.
Himeko Murata had no talent. Everything she had was achieved step by step on her own.
Losing her mother at a young age, Himeko had just obtained her Ph.D. from Caltech and hadn't yet repaid her father's upbringing or followed him to become a scientist when she lost everything in a Honkai event. Afterward, she underwent Valkyrie modification at the age of twenty-two and joined the grassroots Assault Squad, fighting on the front lines in the snow and ice.
In St. Freya Academy, Himeko Murata was the guide for those geniuses who hadn't yet grown to stand on their own. On the Hyperion, she was the [Shield] sheltering the entire Far East, rushing to the scene whenever a Honkai eruption occurred.
A shield cannot be weak; a shield must be strong.
She tossed and turned every night, sleepless, yet forced to face the nightmare of pain alone.
Himeko Murata had also been lost, had also failed to take care of herself. She had collapsed amidst empty wine bottles, holding a new box of painkillers, staying alone in her residence, staring at the dim ceiling and her powerless hands, fantasizing about beautiful things.
Now, she discovered that those unrealistic fantasies of the past seemed to be becoming reality step by step.
In Himeko Murata's exclusive training area, having changed into her special combat suit, she felt the warmth coming from her back and the comfortable sensation spreading throughout her body, driving away the Honkai energy that was eating away at her, making her limbs, blood, and even cells cheer. Himeko stared blankly at her hands.
What exactly am I living in this world for?
What exactly am I wielding a weapon for?
After losing all her relatives, Himeko joined the Assault Squad with hatred for the Honkai. At that time, she had already disregarded life and death; the meaning of living was to fight the Honkai.
Unexpectedly, in the Assault Squad, Himeko met many people—many beautiful and kind girls. Having lost her relatives, she gained friends, comrades with whom she could fight side by side and entrust her life.
But this cruel world just loved to give people something beautiful before pain, sorrow, and tragedy descended.
Himeko's comrades perished one by one in the process of fighting the Honkai. The Assault Squad was almost wiped out in a certain mission, and the unit disbanded. Himeko was lucky to still be alive.
Whether it was luck or misfortune, Himeko no longer knew.
Is the meaning of life to possess and then lose?
Himeko had once harbored such thoughts. But now, without seeking anything new, Evan had given Himeko back what she had once lost—
A healthy body.
This was Himeko Murata's first time regaining what was lost.
"Thank you..."
Himeko's eyes were a bit red, and her voice, which had always been mature and steady, trembled. She wanted to restrain her emotions a little, but it was hard.
She used to think saying thank you was pale, and now she indeed wasn't using it to express gratitude. What filled Himeko's heart were incredibly complex emotions.
Having always borne everything alone and played the role of caring for others, she suddenly felt someone else's care.
Joy? Gratification? Gratitude? Grievance?
Himeko just wanted to cry right now.
In Evan's impression, Himeko Murata should be that mature woman who showed sexiness, teasing, and doting to the Captain. The current her was someone Evan had never seen.
It turned out that so-called strength was just a protective layer plated on oneself after experiencing wind, frost, and hardships. When everyone first came into the world, they were ultimately just children who would cry over trivial matters.
"If you want to cry, just cry it out. If you have any grievances, you can tell me too. You've worked hard, Himeko."
Evan comforted Himeko in a gentle tone, even reaching out his hand to stroke her head like an adult soothing a child.
For Evan, currently still a student at St. Freya Academy, to do this to Himeko, a teacher, should have been a bit unconventional, a bit weird.
But Evan did it anyway, and Himeko silently accepted it. Then, the tears she couldn't hold back finally flowed down.
Himeko Murata had three memorable cries.
The helpless cry when she lost her mother as a child and realized her mother would no longer respond to her calls.
The painful cry when she finished her studies and learned that her last close relative had also passed away.
The desperate cry when the mission ended and she saw her comrades-in-arms almost completely wiped out.
Now was the fourth time.
The first three times, what filled Himeko's heart was sadness. But this time, there were many emotions in Himeko's heart, but sadness was the only one missing.
This would be the fourth memorable cry, representing a memory completely different from the first three.
"Although I don't wish to see a girl cry, if they aren't tears of sadness, it is indeed an unprecedentedly beautiful scenery. Very beautiful, Himeko."
While wiping the tears that flowed wantonly down Himeko's cheeks, Evan couldn't help but sigh with emotion.
There was a sense of satisfaction—a satisfaction different from obtaining power, one that was above it.
Desperately working hard, wanting to become stronger, racking one's brains for it, forgetting food and sleep for it, exhausting oneself for it, overdrawing the body for it—everything paid during this time turned into beautiful memories in the face of these continuously falling tears.
"Sorry, I think you won't have many chances to see me cry in the future."
Himeko whimpered, refuting Evan's words.
That tone, lacking any momentum, made the corners of Evan's mouth curl up.
"In that case, that's really great."
Read ahead with 100+ chapters now with daily updates!
@patreon.com/Zefyrus