A moment later, the wind and waves calmed, and the red sea of blood returned to tranquility, even its crimson hue fading slightly.
Standing up, Ming Yu opened his eyes and looked at Fu Hua before him, slowly saying, "Thank you, Class Monitor."
Gently shaking her head to signal that he needn't mind, Fu Hua asked seriously, "Now, have you thought it through?"
Upon hearing this, Ming Yu paused slightly, not answering immediately. Instead, he turned his gaze to the vast sky and asked in return, "Class Monitor, do you think humanity has a chance of winning the war against the Honkai?"
In this world, from the moment civilization was born, the Honkai came into being with it, aiming to destroy civilization and growing stronger with it.
Although in the current era of civilization, humanity has a great advantage over the Honkai, even the messengers of the Honkai—the Herrschers—have been defeated one by one, failing to cause any significant destruction. Even an unprecedentedly powerful six-core Herrscher could not defeat the humanity of today.
But all of this was due to the gifts of the Previous Era. Yet even the Fire Moth, with its many MANTIS soldiers and Divine Keys, was ultimately unable to stop the Honkai's march of destruction.
This current civilization, having only inherited a part of its legacy, what right did it have to speak of victory?
Looking at the boy who posed the question with a hint of deep meaning, Fu Hua pondered for a long while before speaking, "As your senior, I should paint a beautiful future to encourage you. But to be honest, I'm not sure either."
"Perhaps you should know, we are not the first civilization to face the Honkai." A trace of sentimentality appeared on Fu Hua's face as she continued, "In a civilization before ours, they had highly advanced Honkai Energy technology. The Divine Keys you use today are the products of that civilization. Not only did it have many powerful individuals comparable to S-rank Valkyries, but it even developed technology to convert Honkai Energy into ordinary light and heat. Yet even so, it still failed to defeat the Honkai."
Reigning in her wistfulness, Fu Hua said in a firm tone, "Although the humans of the last civilization failed, the embers they left behind continue to illuminate the present world. Our war with the Honkai is the same!"
"If we win, we earn a flourishing and prosperous age; if we lose, we leave behind embers for the future!"
Listening to Fu Hua's resounding words, Ming Yu's heart couldn't help but stir.
Saving the world is a very dangerous undertaking, but it is also a very grand one! In the face of the world's vastness, anyone would be struck by their own smallness, finding it difficult to remain calm.
However, this has never been the task of a single individual, but a vast and complex team effort, one that the entirety of humanity cannot stand apart from.
Compared to those strong-willed girls, Ming Yu was indeed far inferior in terms of resolve. He had never truly understood the weight represented by the three words "Valkyrie," nor had he ever truly understood what he was carrying.
All along, he had only thought of himself, at most adding a few people he cared about.
But when Saori and Lia died in front of him, he understood the things he should have understood long ago. But the surging hatred and the corrosion of Honkai Energy during the battle made him subconsciously choose to ignore it. Only now, after Fu Hua's enlightenment, did he truly understand his own heart.
Taking a deep breath, Ming Yu spread one hand open in front of him and slowly said, "Once, I only thought about how to survive. I was afraid of death, afraid of loss, afraid of many, many things. I also understand that as long as I remain on the battlefield against the Honkai for a single day, these things are inevitable."
He paused, then continued, "But, as you said, even a civilization as powerful as the Previous Era was destroyed. Where can I run? Living anxiously is just a matter of a few years. Since escape is useless, I can only draw my sword and press forward!"
As he spoke, his open palm instantly clenched into a fist. A long black sword appeared in his hand, its inky light bursting forth, suppressing the crimson of the boundless sea of blood.
There was no escape. When the nest is overturned, how can any egg remain intact?
If destruction was the inevitable end, he could at least choose the manner of his death.
When Saori died before him, when Lia shielded him from that blow, he knew that even if he chose to leave, he would never be able to forget these things.
They owed him nothing, but their deaths were inextricably linked to him.
Perhaps as Valkyries, they would have sacrificed themselves on some battlefield in the future anyway, but Ming Yu couldn't just cast aside this burden with a clear conscience.
This was something he had to carry and would always carry!
No matter where he fled in the future, he could never escape this weight!
"I understand that I may not be able to change anything, but if I don't even try, I'll never be at peace."
Ming Yu said earnestly, his black eyes filled with determination.
Witnessing the sacrifice of his comrades, inheriting their convictions. Today, he finally understood where the sword in his hand should strike.
With a flick of his wrist, the black sword danced in the air, and several exceptionally bright, inky slashes of Sword Qi cut through the air, striking hard into the boundless sea of blood.
*Crack~*
As the Sword Qi passed, the sound of something shattering rang out. The crimson in the sea of blood quickly faded, and even the red of the sky instantly dissipated, all returning to a deep azure.
Looking at the space that had returned to its original color, Fu Hua nodded in approval and said, "It seems you have found your answer."
"Maybe, but I'd rather not have known." With a sigh, Ming Yu replied in a low voice.
Fu Hua said nothing more in response to Ming Yu's reply. The process of growth is accompanied by pain; this was something he had to experience.
Even she couldn't change that.
Turning his gaze to the Celestial, who appeared as a young girl beside him, Ming Yu raised an eyebrow and said, "Class Monitor, you..."
"Hm?" Fu Hua looked over in confusion, watching the hesitant boy.
"It's nothing, thank you." His eyes lingered for a moment on Fu Hua's hair ornament before he spoke faintly.
He had wanted to ask if Fu Hua had used her Celestial powers, the Key of Consciousness, Fenghuang Down. But after some thought, he felt it was an unnecessary question.
Whether Fu Hua had used Fenghuang Down on him or not, he could no longer choose to run away. Moreover, this newfound resolve had made him understand many things.
With a thought, a soft hum came from Jizo Mitama, and a suit of red demonic armor enveloped him from head to toe.
Unlike the giant-sized "Mitama Manifestation," this demonic armor was less a deep black and more a vibrant red, bringing it closer to the crimson of blood. At the same time, it had less of its original wildness and ominousness, and more of a murderous aura.
He materialized a ghost-faced mask in his left hand. As he slowly put it on, he moved his lips towards Fu Hua.
Though there was no sound, Fu Hua understood what he said—*See you in reality.*