That day, she watched helplessly as her father and the mountains and seas of Honkai beasts turned into charcoal.
That was the first time she felt the malice of the world.
But on the same day, this seemingly powerless man resurrected her father and gave her unparalleled hope... Wait! ?
As if she suddenly realized important information that had been overlooked in the past, the girl's azure pupils shrank sharply and her pearly teeth could not stop trembling.
She wanted to ask the man next to her for confirmation, but she didn't dare to look at him again.
"pat-"
The wine glass fell from Kallen's hand and hit her legs, scattering into golden spots. The remaining wine in the glass all splashed onto her white dress, like blood, even brighter than blood.
Her bare hands, which were capable of holding powerful weapons, were now trembling, unable to hold anything.
[You look at Karin, who seems to have discovered everything in just a moment of "I think about it", and you feel bitter. ]
[The bitterness sticks to your smile that still doesn’t fade.]
[This can only be a bitter smile, it is more bitter than life——It is like wanting to use the Flame Fist. ]
[Although you didn't intend to hide anything too much, it seems like you didn't say anything useful? ]
[How can one or two people guess the truth? ]
[The world is full of confusion, and you can't think clearly, but you are convinced of one thing: the original intention of everything you do for Otto and Kallen is definitely not to make them regret it. ]
Lu Mian threw the wine glass in his hand away, first wiped off the red stain on Karin's dress, then hugged her in his arms, as if he wanted to rub her little head into his chest, being uncharacteristically tough.
He listened to the girl in his arms sobbing softly, felt her delicate body trembling constantly, but he smiled, a smile that was extremely warm.
"Do you know?" As the gentle voice fell, Lu Mian's body began to sway left and right very slightly, as if he was telling a bedtime story, or as if he was recalling a wonderful dream.
"When I first met you and Otto, time in the world passed so slowly in my eyes. I didn't remember 'yesterday'; I hated 'today'; I was afraid of 'tomorrow'. So I almost counted the days during that time.
"But at a certain point, everything changed. The clock started moving, and the world's time suddenly became faster. Things seemed to be going according to my original expectations. But I regretted it."
His voice paused, as if tears were in his throat, "I said, I regret it."
Chapter 29: The Last Lesson
"I regret it. I don't want time to go faster, but time is still going faster and faster, so fast that I don't even have time to watch you grow up. You've already grown up."
Lu Mian rested his smooth chin on Karen's head, feeling the smoothness and softness of the girl's white hair, as if this could offset the melancholy in his heart:
"In just a blink of an eye, Otto has grown into a young man who can stand in front of me to protect me, and you have grown into a young lady who can take care of me meticulously, while I have become a useless old thing."
Hearing this, Kallen broke free from his embrace and stared at him closely. Her eyes were slightly red and tearful, but she still tried hard to hold back her tears as she spoke word by word, "You are not some useless old thing! You are my, Otto's and my 'family' and an existence in our lives that we cannot give up no matter what!"
The girl had not read classics, so naturally she could not quote from them, but these words spoken from the heart were worth more than ten thousand and one excerpts from famous books.
Lu Mian smiled happily from the bottom of his heart, "Then, let me be of use to you once more? You know, I have always agreed with your ideals and supported your efforts for them, and this time is no exception.
“The world is neither gentle nor beautiful, but we can still make it what we want it to be.”
Hearing what he said, Karen did not respond.
silence.
silence.
The cell suddenly became very quiet, and the world suddenly became very quiet, as if even the slightest sound would be heard.
The chirping of birds outside the "cage", the sound of the evening breeze blowing gently, the slight friction sound caused by something unknown, and... the sound of tears falling straight to the ground.
[If there is no separation and hatred in my eyes, I don’t believe there are white hairs in the world. ]
[Are idealists the kind of people who never cry? ]
【No, it is not.】
[It was the ideals they firmly believed in that helped them hold back their tears. ]
[No matter how much you can bear it, there will come a time when you can’t bear it any longer...]
Karen still looked at Lu Mian, unmoved. But her tears had already blurred her vision, and two lines of tears silently slid down her snowy cheeks, but they made a heart-breaking sound.
She did not wipe away her tears, she was powerless to wipe away her tears.
She could no longer lose her strength in front of her leader, and she could no longer let her elders worry about her.
Therefore, she must give up her weakness and become strong.
Although tears blurred everything, Kallen's delicate face was filled with tears but she was extremely determined:
"I can give everything for my ideals and for the people! Because I am Kaslana. But I can't let you be used as firewood to be burned by the world."
At this time, the man with a blurred figure gently raised his hand and wiped away all her tears bit by bit.
"Silly girl, everyone in the world can avoid this matter, but I cannot give in even a little.
"I am a dreamer, so I am an idealist like you. I am also your elder, so I must be the first to endure hardships and make sacrifices on the road to realizing my ideals!"
After wiping Karen's tears, Lu Mian gently held her shoulders, ready to teach her this final lesson.
[Some people sold out their country for personal gain at a time when the country was at risk of death, and cruelly killed their compatriots who shared the same water and food.]
[Someone personally sent his own son to the anti-aggression battlefield, from which he would most likely never return.]
【Human beings are so small and great. 】
【As for you, you are not as selfish as the above, but you can't be that selfless. 】
[You are just an ordinary person. Your greatest wish is for the world to remain peaceful forever. Otto and Kallen live in such a peaceful world. ]
[You say this because it is the truth that you are going to do next. You need to convince Karen.]
[If possible, no one wants to be the sacrificed person, and you are no exception. ]
[The remaining time of your existence: one year.]
[But you don’t have time. ]
【You only have one year left to live. 】
[Rather than dying ugly in bed paralyzed in the end, it is better to pave a smooth road for Otto while there is still something she can do, to help Kallen change the unjust world, reverse the unreasonable reality, and implement the justice in her heart. ]
【By the way, use your last time to teach them a final lesson. 】
[At least you can be sure that after you have done all this, you will have no regrets other than reluctance. ]
[Then do it. The distant snow-covered wall has been built at the tip of your heart, and you have already "awakened". ]
“Today, if I take one step back, my ideal will retreat one foot; if I take ten steps back, my ideal will retreat ten feet!
"But if I choose to move forward, I will be fulfilling both of our ideals at the same time. Isn't that a good deal? Kallen, let me ask you again, are you willing to share the same 'big dream' with me?"
Lu Mian's words were extremely solemn, but there was still a smile on his face - not the gentle smile he used to have, but the kind of smile that only belongs to an idealist, so confident and sunny that anyone who sees it will feel at ease from the bottom of their hearts, and have great trust that it will bring light to the world.
But Karen just felt that this smile was so dazzling, so dazzling.
One second, two seconds, three seconds.
Three full seconds passed before she wiped away the tears in her eyes, clenched her fists and placed them across her chest, firmly and unwaveringly, as if she was swearing:
"I have made up my mind! I swear that I will never let the masses suffer again, never let the Honkai Impact ravage the world, and never let the world fall into darkness."
[This is a vow for you, but at the same time this is what Kallen believes from the bottom of her heart, she will definitely do it well. ]
【ah......】
[You suddenly realize that your "mission" has been completed without you even realizing it.]
At this point, tenderness completely swallowed up the confident and sunny smile on Lu Mian's face, leaving no trace.
At this point, he finally acted like an old man and gently rubbed Kallen's head, "Don't be sad, life is a long road, and someone always has to go first."
After saying this, he turned around and walked towards the cell door.
What to do?
Be Otto and Kallen's sunrise, be their sunset.
There is no return here.
Already aware of it!
Karin looked at Lu Mian's back which was so close to her, but she felt that this broad and kind back, just like the one in her past memories, was very far away, very far away.
She subconsciously wanted to reach out and grab Lu Mian's hand, but she couldn't even grab the corner of Lu Mian's clothes.
It was as if the hand she was supposed to hold was no longer this one.
【You never think you are noble. 】
【You never think you are kind. 】
【You never think you are right. 】
【However, however.】
[It was you who personally trained Otto and Kallen. 】
[You are amazing, right? ]
Chapter 30 Grill Master
The night sky, like a curtain, quietly covers the world. The evening breeze embraces the stars, and a few idle clouds sleep together.
A round frosty moon cast its cold white light onto the ground.
Suddenly, countless feathers sparkling with dreamy golden light floated down along the moonlight and landed all over Europe.
[The remaining time of your existence: 300 days. ]
Lu Mian was walking alone on the empty street, with the lonely sky above his head and the underworld beneath his feet.
A flaming sword with leaping golden flames suddenly appeared in his hand. The fire entangled in the blade spread along his arm holding the sword into his body, igniting the fire in his heart and burning his soul.
How painful is it?
It is ten times worse than skinning and pulling out the tendons, and far better than cutting out the heart and removing the liver.
But his expression did not change. He just gritted his teeth and walked forward.
call.
call.
Along with his heavy breathing, white steam emerged from between Lu Mian’s teeth and burned the air.
He knows the way ahead.
Going here, killing people.
He knows the way ahead.
There is no return.
[So what? ]
【You have already realized it. 】
[The God's Key, which was reborn to "fight the collapse", turned around and stabbed the sharp blade at humans, and the "Shari" that existed only for wisdom took up the killing knife. 】
[The flames of destruction use you as firewood to burn the filth in the world. ]
[The feather of the Dust Crossing is used by you to outline a great dream, to give a place of distress to those who deserve to die, and to give a beautiful dream to those who are suffering. ]
[The remaining time of your existence: 260 days. ]
【...】
[The remaining time of your existence: 180 days. ]
【...】
[The remaining time of your existence: 50 days. ]
【...】
-----------------
