"Are you all blind? You can't even stop two random people! Why does the MOTH support you? You should just go home and become security guards!"
Words echoed in a basement, cramped and tight.
A MOTH soldier in a black uniform resisted the urge to aim his gun at the speaker. He stood in front of the person he was protecting, doing his job quietly.
"I just don't get it. Why would the higher-ups send me to this place full of losers? How can I get anything done?"
The speaker was an old man, scruffy and bald except for a few stray hairs. If it weren't for the badge on his chest, you wouldn't think he was an international researcher—an expert in studying the Honkai.
The old man picked up some clear liquids and carefully sealed them in a metal container. As the light reflected off the bottles, his eyes sparkled with excitement.
"You don't get it at all. You have no idea what I'm studying," he said. "Give me just two more weeks, and I'll have data on how it affects humans! The Nobel Prize in Biochemistry will be mine!"
He angrily packed up his lab equipment, silently cursing the intruders. "Couldn't they have picked a better time? I'd love to use them as test subjects!"
One of the soldiers, tired of his ranting, politely said, "Sir..."
The old man waved his hand, signaling he understood. His eyes were fixed on a screen showing the outer walls of the castle breaking down and mechanical crabs changing form.
Groups of crabs were merging together into one large unit, heading toward the base with unstoppable force. The front hall, big enough for fifty people, cracked under the pressure.
As tanks led the charge, other troops followed, trying to get closer while avoiding enemy fire.
Meanwhile, Orion and Vill-V were on their mission. They were crawling through ventilation ducts, like something out of a spy movie.
"This place is terrible! Couldn't we have found a better way in?" Orion complained, holding his head.
As they crawled forward, Orion realized that even though they were safe in the back of the group, they wouldn't succeed in the mission if they couldn't find the key people behind the Honkai experiments.
"Got any ideas?" Vill-V asked, shrugging. She wasn't exactly an expert in combat, but she knew her way around machinery, even if she hadn't had much practice.
Orion's eyes narrowed, and to Vill-V's surprise, he suddenly picked her up by the waist.
"Ah! What are you doing?!" she shrieked.
Orion ignored her, jumping out of their hiding spot. Vill-V's mechanical crab became his stepping stone, and he dashed across the battlefield, dodging bullets like a shadow.
"What the heck is that?!" someone yelled. "It's like a ghost—we can't hit it!"
"Focus your fire! Shoot!"
Vill-V screamed as Orion zigzagged through the hail of bullets, his reflexes making the world seem to slow down around him. Everything from the moving crabs to the grass of the base yard became clear to him, as if a path was drawn in his mind.
"Got it," he whispered.
With Vill-V clutched tightly, they dodged rockets and explosions, reaching the base's roof near a ventilation duct. As the dust settled, the soldiers below thought they had eliminated their target.
Orion gently set Vill-V down, but before he could speak, she turned away and vomited.
"0/10 never riding again" she groaned, looking at Orion like he was a monster.
"Uh... sorry. I'll find a better way next time," he said sheepishly.
"Next time?!" Vill-V's eyes widened in fear. "No way!"
Despite her complaints, they continued crawling through the ventilation ducts, trying to reach the base's interior. After what felt like hours, they saw light ahead.
"Stop!" Orion grabbed Vill-V's ankle. She froze, instinctively listening to him.
"What's happening down there?" he asked.
Vill-V peeked down, seeing a girl with pink hair talking to an old man. She whispered back, "Looks like some big shot is here."
Orion thought for a moment. The description sounded familiar—there was only one pink-haired girl in the MOTH who was powerful, smart, and cute.
"Listen carefully to what they say," Orion warned.
"I really don't like sneaking around like this," Vill-V muttered. She was used to showing off and looking cool, not hiding in a vent like a rat.
As they listened, Vill-V accidentally put too much weight on the cover and with a loud clang, the vent cover fell down.
The people below stopped talking and looked up. Vill-V's face appeared in the hole, and with a nervous smile, she said, "Uh... if I told you I was just passing by, would you believe me?"