Chapter 269: Choices
On the other side of the city, a battered motorcycle roared through the ruined streets, a blur of speed and dust, heading towards the mountains.
Such reckless speed, even on a smooth, open highway, would be dangerous. Here, amidst the rubble and debris, it was suicidal.
"I'm crazy! I must be crazy!" Chen Tianwu thought, his heart pounding, adrenaline surging through his veins. He'd never imagined himself doing something so reckless – dancing with death, taunting the monsters with his speed.
No, it's this world that's crazy! This insane world that forces us to be reckless!
He twisted the throttle, pushing the motorcycle even faster.
"Brother, look! The sky is clear!" The little girl, nestled securely in his arms, felt the warmth of the sun on her face. She looked up, seeing the familiar blue sky. "Did Lin Wei and the others do it?"
Chen Tianwu slammed on the brakes, stopping the motorcycle. He removed his helmet, staring at the beautiful sky, the sunlight streaming down, a sight he'd thought he'd never see again. The warmth pierced through the darkness that had enveloped his heart, a beacon of hope, a promise of a better tomorrow.
The clear blue sky, the warm sunlight… this is what it feels like… to be alive…
Tears welled up in his eyes.
"Brother, what do we do now?" The little girl pressed her face against his chest, listening to his heartbeat, her voice small. "Should we go back for them?" Wouldn't it be safer to go back? she wondered.
"We…" He hesitated, tempted, then noticed a large Honkai beast approaching, drawn by the sound of the motorcycle.
"No, we can't go back." He pushed aside the thought, his voice firm. "Mr. Lin Wei and Anna are in danger. We have to reach their companions, warn them."
"I understand, Brother." The little girl smiled, her face radiating an almost angelic innocence. "They helped us. We have to help them too!"
"You've grown up, Wenwen…" He stroked her hair, securing her helmet, then put his own back on, his voice filled with a newfound determination. "Don't worry, Wenwen. We'll survive this!"
"We'll find a new home, a new city, a new life. It will be just like before!"
"We'll have a new home, a new future!"
"Mm!" she nodded firmly.
He took a deep breath and started the engine.
The motorcycle roared back to life, turning in a wide arc, leaving a trail of dust as it sped away.
The battle wasn't over. They still had a role to play.
...
Elsewhere.
"This isn't working." Jell turned to Anna, her voice serious. "We split up. I'll draw the Honkai beasts away from the river. You take Lin Wei and escape!"
"Split up? But what about you?" Anna's heart sank. She understood what Jell meant. One of them would sacrifice themselves to buy the other time.
"No! I won't allow it!"
"That's an order!" Jell snapped, her voice surprisingly harsh. "I'm the captain! You don't get to make decisions!"
"But it's not over yet! There has to be another way! We just have to hold on…"
"It's precisely because it's not over that we still have a choice," Jell's voice was cold, devoid of its usual warmth. "If we wait any longer, it will be too late. We'll both die here!"
"I'm an A-rank Valkyrie too! I can distract them! I can clear a path!" Anna argued, refusing to back down. "As a Schariac, I will never…"
"Slap!" Jell's hand cracked against Anna's cheek, sending her sprawling to the ground. She looked up at her captain, stunned.
"You still remember I'm your captain?" Jell's voice was like ice. "Lose the spoiled princess act, Anna. This isn't Schicksal HQ, your little ivory tower! This is a war! The enemy won't coddle you, the Honkai won't show you mercy! Everything here, from the beasts on the ground to the viruses in the air, wants you dead!"
"Why do you think you can just… waltz through life, throwing tantrums whenever you please?!" Jell's words were sharp, cutting deep.
"Do you even know this city? Do you know the streets, the rivers, the buildings, the population density, the terrain? Do you know how to slow down the enemy, how to avoid becoming a useless sieve, letting them walk right past you, killing everyone you're supposed to protect?!"
"Answer me, rookie!"
Anna was speechless. Jell's harshness, her coldness, terrified her, making her shrink back. "But… you'll die…" she whispered, her voice filled with despair.
"There are only two of us who can fight. If I don't go, then you have to. And what can you do, rookie? You'll just die for nothing!" Jell's expression softened slightly. She gently touched Anna's bruised cheek. "Besides, if I let anything happen to you, how am I supposed to face Lin Wei when he wakes up?"
"No… please…" Anna clutched Jell's cold hand, her voice filled with anguish. "We've come so far… we're so close… victory is within reach… why now? Why do this now?"
"Yes, I know. Victory is within reach." Jell glanced at the approaching Honkai beasts, then looked up at the clear blue sky, basking in the warmth of the sun, a rare moment of peace. "It's… beautiful…"
"So, Captain, please… let's just hold on a little longer…" Anna pleaded, her voice filled with hope. "When this is over, we can enjoy the sunshine together, enjoy life… please?"
"Of course…" Jell smiled. "But someone has to stand watch during the darkest hour before dawn. And that someone… is not you, rookie."
"But… but… you promised… you promised you wouldn't throw your life away!" Anna sobbed.
"Did I?" Jell chuckled, wiping away her tears. "But isn't paving the way for the next generation… a worthy cause?"
"That's… that's not fair!" Anna's tears flowed even faster. "You knew… you knew this would happen…"
"Yes, I did. I knew this day would come. I just didn't expect it so soon." Jell sighed, her voice filled with weariness. "I'm tired, Anna…"
"I've walked this path for too long… I'm exhausted… I can't… walk any further…" Despite her youthful appearance, her eyes held the weariness of an old woman. She gently smoothed Anna's hair. "My journey ends here. But yours, Anna, is just beginning. You still have a long way to go. So, be strong. Keep moving forward."
"No… you're lying… you tricked me…" Anna remembered Jell's words from their earlier conversation, reality and memory merging. "You knew all along, didn't you?"
"I knew it was a possibility. I just didn't expect it to happen so soon." Jell shook her head. "We Valkyries… we're just… broken shells, pulled from the depths of the Honkai, given a new purpose, a new duty, sent back into hell to fight. Death is our inevitable fate. There's nothing to fear."
"But… isn't it better to… live?" Anna protested. "We're human! No one has to die! Death shouldn't be the end… it's too sad…"
"Is it? It's good that you feel that way… it will help you go further." Jell smiled gently. "Anna, unlike us, the weapons called Valkyries, I believe you will become a true Valkyrie, leading humanity to victory, walking towards a brighter future, a future we will never see…"
"You're still young, but every eagle starts as a fledgling. I believe you will soar."
She plucked a small lotus flower from her uniform and placed it in Anna's hand, closing her fingers around it. Her voice was filled with a quiet conviction.
"Snow Lotus… is yours now."
"No… I… I can't… Captain!" Anna cried, as if jolted by electricity. "I'm not ready!"
Jell smiled, then her expression turned serious. "Anna Schariac, listen to me!"
Anna instinctively straightened up, her voice firm. "Yes, ma'am!"
"Take Lin Wei and escape!"
"…Yes, ma'am!"
Jell took the captain's badge from Anna's uniform and pinned it to her chest. She straightened her collar, wiped away her tears, and smoothed her auburn hair. She looked at her, her voice soft.
"Live."
The single word, spoken so gently, felt like a heavy blow, shattering Anna's heart, unleashing a torrent of grief.
"Waaah…" She fought back the tears, saluting, her voice choked with emotion. "Yes! I… I will!"
"I know you will." Jell lowered her hand, smiling at her, then turned and ran towards the enemy, without hesitation.
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