Xin Yu looked at the girl staring blankly back at him, his heart filled with relief. If he hadn't been clearing out those monsters along the way, if he hadn't simply rushed headlong towards his home regardless of anything else...
If he had been just half a step slower, this already severely injured girl would likely have died instantly.
I saved someone. Amidst this extinction-level natural disaster, I successfully saved a person.
"Don't move."
Noticing the girl seemed about to attempt something, Xin Yu quickly spoke to stop her. Her injuries were severe and needed immediate treatment; otherwise, they could easily cause permanent damage, or even death.
Xin Yu didn't dare use the energy within his body to heal others. Whether it was the corrosive Spiritual Power or the even more bizarre and powerful Nihility force, neither was suitable for treating someone else.
"Sorry, your condition is serious. I have to take some measures now. This might be a bit intrusive."
Xin Yu tore strips from his own clothes, using the power of Nihility to kill any bacteria on them. He then tore away some of Bronya's clothing as well, bandaging her wounds and the burned areas.
Bronya simply watched all this in silence. She had seen the genuine joy in his eyes when he saved her just moments ago.
It was pure joy stemming from having saved a life.
But... am I truly worthy of being saved?
Bronya no longer cared about her body being touched or seen by others. Perhaps due to the intense electric shock she had suffered earlier, which might have caused some damage or changes in her brain, Bronya could now feel the powerlessness within her heart.
She hadn't expected that the battle, designed to be a sure win, where the Third Herrscher shouldn't have stood a chance, would end with them being effortlessly crushed.
Even the Titans with special coatings couldn't withstand the Herrscher's lightning for long, and Bronya herself proved utterly inadequate against her opponent.
After all, Project Bunny having to protect her, the master, was too obvious a weakness.
Can I really bring Seele back? Is this experiment Mother Cocolia devised truly meaningful? Did those who were sacrificed really deserve to be sacrificed?
These questions were too heavy, too painful, yet they were the reality she had to face.
From Xin Yu's perspective, it was perfectly normal for this little girl's mind to be troubled after experiencing such a drastic life change and suffering such severe injuries.
Her current state of despair, seemingly having lost hope in everything, must be because this disaster had taken everything from her.
"I'll get you out of here... If, after we get out, you have no family left, nowhere to go... I'll take care of you."
Xin Yu didn't know how to comfort a child who had lost all her relatives and friends in an instant. All he could do was offer a promise.
A promise that might give her hope to keep living.
Xin Yu lifted the girl onto his back. Her body was light, even lighter than he had imagined, especially considering the exoskeleton-like devices he'd seen on her legs.
It reminded him that he had met this girl before. At the time, he had thought she had run away from home.
Xin Yu held Bronya and continued walking towards his home.
Along the way, Xin Yu carried Bronya like a child in one arm, while his other hand continued to wield the long blade, dispatching the monsters that appeared.
Bronya silently watched Xin Yu efficiently eliminate one Deadwalker after another. She noticed that although he was heading in a specific direction, he often took detours to eliminate hidden Deadwalkers and small Honkai Beasts. Then, Bronya suddenly spoke, asking Xin Yu:
"Why are you doing this?"
Bronya's voice sounded somewhat hoarse, likely due to her injuries, and wasn't loud, but Xin Yu heard her.
"Even if the probability is very small, if someone is truly saved because of this, I think it's well worth it. Just like how I managed to save you, right?"
Bronya thought this person was an idiot. Even at a time like this, he was still thinking about saving others. Even if he had strange powers capable of defeating Deadwalkers and small Honkai Beasts, once that monster absorbed enough energy, this city would likely turn into scorched earth before long.
"Flee quickly. Once the Herrscher of Thunder absorbs enough Honkai energy, this city will be completely destroyed. Nothing will be left."
"Herrscher of Thunder?" Xin Yu asked, puzzled.
"Everything happening now is a disaster called a Honkai Eruption. Honkai has existed since the dawn of human civilization. It is extremely corrosive to humans. People without sufficient Honkai energy adaptability and resistance will die or turn into Deadwalkers – those humanoid monsters you killed earlier – upon contact with Honkai energy."
"And Herrschers are the most powerful monsters. According to historical records, the Second Great Honkai Eruption caused by the Second Herrscher resulted in deaths exceeding five digits, both directly and indirectly."
"So, against a monster of that caliber, you can't win. Leave quickly. While the newly born Herrscher hasn't absorbed enough Honkai energy yet, there's still time to escape."
"...Why do you know so much?"
Bronya continued in her usual cold tone.
"Bronya... was one of the participants in orchestrating this man-made Great Honkai Eruption."
"..."
"Do you regret saving Bronya now?"
Xin Yu didn't answer. He didn't know what to say. His heart was filled with complicated feelings. To think that the person he had finally managed to save was related to this disaster, perhaps even one of its perpetrators.
Regret? A little.
"Why haven't you put Bronya down yet?"
"I said I would take you out of here. As for whether what you said is right or wrong, we can talk about it after we leave."
"...Are you an idiot? Bronya has made it very clear. Responsible for so many deaths, the destruction of an entire city, possibly even causing more people to die... Why are you still saving such an evil person?"
"Because... you were still asking me for help."
"What?"
"Someone who wholeheartedly seeks death wouldn't say so much. Only those still wavering would say these things, hoping others will let them go, yet unwilling to let go themselves."
"...You really are... an idiot."
Bronya buried her face into the crook of his neck. He was right. While saying those words, she had been clinging tightly to him, never letting go.