MTLNOVEL Chapter 193: Hiding the Truth
Fire Moth had cordoned off the city. Soldiers maintained order. It was the largest operation Lee had ever seen, bigger than any Herrscher attack.
Even now, more troops were arriving.
Lee understood. Fighting the Honkai meant killing the enemy; numbers weren't important, only strength. But this was crowd control.
This metropolis had nearly ten million people, almost all affected by the 6th Herrscher's power. They weren't dead, could even move, but they were in agony, consumed by despair.
Not everyone had an iron will. Faced with inexplicable pain and the certainty of death, what would ordinary people do? They'd cry for help.
To them, Fire Moth was their salvation, but Fire Moth couldn't help. Their mission was the opposite: to contain these people, prevent them from leaving the city.
No one knew if the 6th Herrscher's power was contagious, so these people, potential carriers, couldn't be allowed to leave. Fire Moth had established a blockade, trapping everyone inside.
"This is bad…"
Lee frowned, looking at the line of soldiers.
Among the trapped were children and the elderly, all suffering, desperately pushing towards the blockade. Some prayed, some begged for help, some cursed Fire Moth, demanding to be let out.
The scene was chaotic, the air thick with the sound of… crying.
Crying from sudden disaster, crying from being denied escape…
"Sir, please, save my child!"
A mother knelt before a soldier, her head bowed. "I won't leave. I'll stay here. Just save her! She's only four! Please!!!"
"Mommy, it hurts…" The little girl in her arms was cute, but half her body was covered in strange markings, her hand already dissolving into black mist.
Adults could endure the Herrscher's final attack longer, but children were more vulnerable.
Even the soldiers looked away, but they held their ground. Their duty was clear.
The mother knew the soldiers couldn't help; she was pleading with the officer behind them, dressed differently from the others.
Lee thought, Good thing these people don't know this is his fault. The soldiers' guns might not be enough to stop them.
"I… I…"
The soldiers were a line dividing the world. One side: countless victims begging for their lives. The other: an empty camp and the man responsible for it all.
Kevin's hands trembled; his throat was dry.
He'd never felt such despair, not even fighting Herrschers or Honkai Beasts.
This was his fault. He'd hesitated, giving the 6th Herrscher a chance to attack the city. Lee had warned him not to trust Herrschers, but he'd still—!
He heard the mother's pleas, but he couldn't help.
If the blockade broke, everything would collapse. He couldn't make an exception. He'd made one mistake; he couldn't make another… even if it meant watching these people die because of him.
What have I done…
He couldn't meet their eyes, his heart filled with regret. Lee wouldn't have let this happen. She would have done better!
But it was too late.
Could he bear the weight of ten million lives?
How would Lee and the others see him when they learned what he'd done?
Kevin couldn't imagine it. His thoughts were a jumbled mess.
The confident, capable warrior was gone, replaced by a helpless child who'd made a terrible mistake and didn't know how to fix it.
He felt like that time he was cornered by a Temple-class Honkai Beast, about to die, until Lee saved him… But who could save him now?
Who could help him undo this catastrophe…
"Kevin, what are you doing?"
"—Lee?!"
The familiar voice came from behind, but the sight of her was the last thing he wanted.
"You… are you here to—"
"I was worried, so I came." Lee's expression was grim. "But it seems I'm too late."
Fire Moth hadn't told Lee about the 6th Herrscher. She'd learned about it from Kevin, who was already preparing to leave. By the time Lee contacted Vill-V for an aircraft and flew from Twilight Street, it was over.
"I…" Kevin's lips trembled. He'd never seen Lee so serious, so… angry.
[Energy +30,000]
She's here to blame me—
"I didn't realize the 6th Herrscher was so much stronger, that she could affect so many people even while fighting you…" Lee sighed, shaking her head. "Don't blame yourself, Kevin. These things happen."
To Kevin's surprise, Lee didn't yell; she comforted him.
He knew it wasn't because she wasn't angry; it was because she didn't know the truth.
She thought he'd done his best, that the Herrscher was just too strong. But it was his hesitation that caused this.
He'd only reported the situation to the commander, who clearly hadn't told Lee.
Should I tell her…?
Kevin opened his mouth, then closed it.
It's okay to wait… she'll find out eventually…