Orion wandered for nearly a year, his journey stretching across distant lands.
One day, his communicator rang. It was Ato.
After ten months apart, Ato's wife, Blanca, had given birth to their daughter—Griseo.
He congratulated them and wish them well.
Far away, Kevin's messages arrived, brief yet thoughtful. Orion read them throughout his journey.
On the rooftop, with only the wind to witness, Kevin and Mei finally shared the truth in their hearts. Love had always been there—now, it had a name.
Later, Mei went to a high-level science forum to present a paper on quantum mechanics. Her new ideas and bold theories stood out, especially for someone her age, showing how talented she was.
Orion knew Mei's talents were rare, and she could make a big difference in the fight against Honkai. He chose not to interfere, believing that experts would soon notice her.
Orion kept searching for cities in danger of collapsing.
He had already shared some information with Ato, who passed it along truthfully. Whether MOTH would take it seriously or not was up to them.
The threat of Honkai was great, but one dark truth remained: humanity was not ready to fight it.
Orion understood that a single Herrscher could turn cities into graveyards and twist nature itself into a weapon. Humanity could fight them but it would come at a dear cost.
Humanity needed more.
They needed weapons that could deal with Honkai beasts that meant harnessing the very energy that threatened them.
The current weapons barely scratched the surface. That had to change.
The war against the Honkai beasts demanded more than just courage—it demanded strength beyond human limits. The soldiers of MOTH had fought valiantly, yet each battle against these monstrous foes exposed their fragility. They needed more power.
Mobius worked tirelessly, her mind weaving through the intricate mysteries of Honkai energy. If human bodies could be reforged, if their essence could be rewritten with the power of their enemy, then perhaps they would stand a chance. Yet, Orion knew that such power came at a cost.
Still, his unease did not rest solely on the battlefield. There was another shadow that lingered in his mind—one not born from Honkai but from something far more elusive. Before he had joined MOTH he had met them—a group unlike any he had seen.
Their movements were erratic, yet deliberate. Their garb, a mismatch of strange masks and enigmatic symbols, spoke of something far older than mere secrecy. Their methods defied reason. Their very existence felt like an unanswered riddle.
Orion had once spoken to Welt Yang about an organization that mirrored their strangeness. They called themselves The Masked Fool. Across the vast reaches of space, their name echoed in whispers—followers of Aha, the Aeon of Joy.
Yet, joy was a deceptive thing. To those outside their ranks, it was madness draped in laughter, chaos hidden beneath festivity.
Orion knew better than to dismiss them.
As he walked into the city of Skydrift it pulsed with colorful signs reflected off the rain-slicked streets, and the hum of countless voices merged into a ceaseless symphony of urban chaos. Yet, beneath the vibrant façade, something felt… off.
Orion strode through the throng, his instincts detected an unnatural presence. A trace of Honkai energy. This faint but distinct corrupted energy wove through the air. His silver-white hair rippled slightly as he adjusted his pace, slipping through the crowd with practiced ease, following the eerie pulse that beckoned him toward a dark alley.
There, beyond the damp brick walls and scattered trash, stood two young women, their faces taut with fear. Before them lurked something that had no place in this world—zombies humanoid looking honkai enemies, their hollow eyes flickering with a sickly, unnatural light.
Carol's breath hitched. She felt that everything was going pretty well she had made new friends and built a small group within her class. Yet now, as she stood before this nightmare made real, dread gripped her.
Among the monstrous figures, two shadows stood apart—twin reapers cloaked in darkness, their curved scythes gleaming like crescent moons. Beside them, a towering warrior with curved horns, blades resting in its gauntleted hands, watched with an eerie stillness.
The girl in the navy-blue school uniform moved first, stepping forward with measured grace. A martial artist—trained, disciplined. Her stance was sharp, every muscle coiled with intent. But skill alone wouldn't bridge the abyss that separated mortals from these unnatural abominations.
Then—a flash of light.
The oppressive weight of the Honkai dissipated .
In that moment, a figure emerged—white-haired, calm, untouched by fear. His presence alone shifted the tide. Before the monsters could react, they fell.
One step. One motion.
And the reanimated soldiers crumbled, erased by the force that had just arrived.