Looking at the reddish sky, Ming Yu murmured, "Our fight against the Honkai, what is it all for?"
Ming Yu's voice was very low, as if he were talking to himself.
But Fu Hua knew that the question was for her. And, what Ming Yu was asking was his reason to fight.
If this were a question on an exam paper, the answer would be simple and standard— "To fight for all that is beautiful in the world."
But looking at the dejected youth before her, she couldn't bring herself to say those words.
Although the slogan was powerful and had inspired countless Valkyries to fight for this world, at this moment, it was so hollow.
For the sake of the potential beauty in this world, young girls in the prime of their lives had to undertake the so-called cause of saving the world, shouldering all the pain and despair.
And that, by any measure, could not be called beautiful.
Although Ming Yu was by no means a delicate young girl, when faced with the cruelty of the world, he was not much stronger.
Most Valkyries shouldered all of this, bearing the pain the Honkai inflicted upon them, yet leaving the beauty for others.
This is what is meant by "Valkyrie"!
Before becoming Valkyries, they understood what they had to face and were prepared to accept it all.
When they set foot on this path, they were resolved. For the beauty of the world, they were willing to bear all this ugliness.
To fight for all that is beautiful in the world was the answer for most Valkyries.
But Fu Hua knew that this would definitely not be Ming Yu's answer, at least not now.
Why do we fight?
Due to different experiences, everyone will have their own reasons.
So, this was a question where you tailored your answer to the person.
And as for the person before her, Fu Hua found him a bit hard to read.
On the surface, Ming Yu seemed easy to understand, almost transparent at a glance. But if one looked closely, one would find that this was all just a facade; inside this person was nothing but a ball of fog.
In her long years, she had met many people and seen all walks of life. Although her memories were already hazy, a person as simple and yet as complex as this was truly rare.
After a long silence, Fu Hua replied faintly, "The answer to this question does not lie with me. For the reason why, you can only ask your own heart."
"My own heart, huh..." Ming Yu whispered, rubbing his forehead wearily.
It had been over three months since he came to this world. From the initial fear and apprehension, to the peace and tranquility after entering St. Freya High School, and now to his current despondency, he had unknowingly experienced so much.
He had always known in his heart that this world was definitely not as calm as it appeared on the surface. Although it didn't look calm on the surface either, with Honkai events breaking out all over the globe, the undercurrents beneath the waves were even more turbulent.
It was precisely because he knew the dangers of this world and lacked a sense of security that he had schemed for the Key of Corruption, Jizo Mitama, and planned to get in touch with the Celestial.
In the chaotic times that were about to come, he had no one to rely on. The only thing he could trust was his own strength.
In terms of hard work, he believed he could rank among the top in St. Freya High School.
But unlike others who fought to change the world, everything he did was for himself, to survive in the turbulent times ahead.
He never saw himself as a hero, nor did he ever want to be one.
He was just an ordinary person, a little selfish and a little greedy, who only wanted to protect his own small piece of land.
Even after getting the Key of Corruption as he wished, he never thought of using this power to change anything.
Even the matter of joining the Valkyrie force was just part of a deal with Theresa.
If he were to choose for himself, he would definitely have stayed in St. Freya High School until the plot officially began two years later.
But now, he could no longer stay peacefully in St. Freya High School…
Once, he felt he was all alone and didn't understand the hatred those Valkyries had for the Honkai. But when he saw a familiar comrade sacrifice herself, he finally understood the pain of that loss.
Only then did he know what a despairing phrase "Honkai Eruption" was.
For a moment, he thought about running away.
He could give up the Divine Key, and his strength wasn't important, but the pain of life slipping away and the despair of powerlessness—he never wanted to experience that again!
The pride that was shattered by reality also made him see his own weakness.
As long as he remained on the Honkai battlefield for another day, he would sooner or later face such helplessness and pain again, and he himself might even die in some unknown land.
But if he chose to flee, he could at least have two more years of peace. If he was lucky, it wasn't impossible to hide until the end of the world.
And with his current strength, even without the Divine Key, he wouldn't be completely helpless in small-scale Honkai events. At least, survival wouldn't be a problem.
Between being a sacrificed hero and a cowardly survivor, he would rather choose the latter.
He believed that life and death were two completely different states, and living in someone's heart was very different from living in this world.
But whenever he was about to make up his mind, the scene of Saori being pierced by the Honkai Beast's carapace leaf, the image of Lia taking her own life with the Spirit Blade, would appear in his mind, becoming clearer and clearer.
A white horde of beasts galloped past, towns and cities turned into ruins, red liquid gathered into streams, dyeing the entire land red…
Scenes like these surfaced in his mind, making him hesitate.
Although in every respect, the rampage of the Honkai had nothing to do with him. Even if people died in Honkai events, it couldn't be blamed on him, and he didn't need to feel guilty for it.
Even the harshest person could not criticize him for this.
After all, he was just a human being, and he couldn't bear the weight of the beauty of an entire world.
But if he could kill one more Honkai Beast, perhaps more people would be spared and survive a future Honkai event.
Just like with Squad 16, if he had been stronger, if he had mastered the Divine Key sooner, the outcome might have been different.
And that was something he was capable of doing.
As his thoughts deepened, Ming Yu couldn't help but close his eyes, his brows furrowing in unison.
As the two thoughts rose and fell within him, the entire sea of blood began to churn. Waves tens of meters high rose without wind, crashing down towards the two of them.
Seeing Ming Yu still in deep thought with his eyes closed, Fu Hua knew the critical moment had arrived.
With a sigh, she stood in front of Ming Yu, facing the endless giant waves. She slightly drew back her right fist, and immense Honkai Energy gathered into that slender, fair fist.
In the next moment, the punch was like the wind. Hundreds, thousands of fist shadows were thrown out in an instant, tearing the giant wave apart from the center.