"..."
The nun chose a quiet, distant spot to sit down, nibbling on her skewers in small bites. She was somewhat surprised that Kalpas culinary skills exceeded her expectations; the deliciousness of these skewers likely ranked in the top three things she had ever eaten in her life.
Of course, it was also possible that it was due to this man's guidance.
The man stood beside her, holding a skewer of his own. However, compared to the mouth-watering meat skewers they were eating, his was merely a shabby skewer of grilled potato chips.
He chewed the sugar-coated chips nonchalantly. Though they looked bland, the nun felt as though he were eating them with great relish.
Kalpas booming voice could be heard clearly even from here. He was lecturing those bratty kids who had sauce all over their mouths and hands, and those boys playing with the iron skewers were sent scurrying away, clutching their heads after he dealt each of them a sharp rap on the skull.
It was clear that his popularity among the children was very high. Even if his temper, tone, and choice of words were quite rude, to the children, he was someone willing to be close to them and care for them. Most of these children, who had lost their parents' companionship early on, were relatively precocious; they could tell who was truly good to them.
"Mr. Ultraman, you said you wanted to eat barbecue, but that's not really it, is it?" The nun gazed at the grilled potato chips in his hand. "Can you tell me the truth?"
"..."
The skin and features visible beneath the corner of the man's raised mask were perfectly normal. The nun even felt that his mouth and the small part of his nose revealed were... beautiful? Why did he wear a mask?
He chewed slowly and deliberately, grinding every piece of potato chip into the smallest possible crumbs before swallowing. He only paused slightly upon hearing the nun's words.
"Mr. Ultraman."
The grilled potato chips were snatched from his hand.
Holding a skewer in each hand, the nun watched him earnestly. The man merely looked back at her through his mask, showing no intention of explaining.
"If you don't say anything, I'm going back."
"They..."
"They've already finished eating, haven't they?"
"..."
The air froze. The man's gaze fell coldly upon her face. After a full half-minute of stalemate, the coldness in his eyes finally thawed a little.
"Do you know what illness they have?"
"I don't... I only know that this disease gradually appeared after that harsh winter. And no one... can cure it..." The nun's memory was clear; that was also when she had picked up a wounded Kalpas.
The man breathed quietly. He gazed at the children who still had innocence in their eyes, the smiles at the corners of their mouths, their tender voices, and... their eroding bodies.
"This disease is called Honkai Sickness. It is caused by an energy similar to a virus invading the body. If one does not have enough resistance to this energy, the body will be eroded, and once it begins, it cannot be stopped." The man's steady voice reached the nun's ears, and she looked at him in disbelief.
This person—how did he know all this?
A thought suddenly struck her.
Could it be that outside Sundown Alley, this disease was actually nothing and could already be cured?
The man, unaware of her thoughts, continued: "In the early stages of Honkai Sickness, the body might not show other symptoms; there will only be small sections of purple patterns on the skin. As the erosion deepens, the purple patterns increase. After reaching a certain point, the organs will also begin to be eroded."
"It destroys the body's immune cells, damages organ function, burns out nerves, attacks the brain... by this stage, it is already the middle stage of Honkai Sickness. Various bizarre symptoms appear, pain intensifies along with the erosion, and general painkillers have no effect."
These were exactly the symptoms of the Honkai Sickness patients who had died in the orphanage! What this man was saying was true!
"In the final stage, the human body is torn to pieces, the brain can no longer maintain normal functions, the patient cannot distinguish between hallucination and reality, and total paralysis sets in until the heart is completely eroded and death occurs."
The nun held her breath and asked, "How do you know..."
"Because I was once a Honkai Sickness patient myself."
"..."
The man's tone remained as stable as ever, as if nothing could cause him to leak any excess emotion.
The nun's heart pounded wildly. She couldn't help but look at the children, then back at the man.
"The speed of Honkai erosion is related to three points: first, the level of one's own resistance; second, the resilience of one's willpower; and third, the state of one's emotions. The first two are difficult to achieve in a short time, but the third can be managed through external factors to keep the patient in a good mood, thereby slowing the rate of erosion." The man held up three fingers.
"Then what you said today..." Enlightenment dawned on the nun. She understood why the man had acted this way. Then, she quickly asked, "Mr. Ultraman, since you said you 'once' were a Honkai Sickness patient, does that mean your illness is already... cured?"
The man nodded silently.
At that moment, the nun's joy transcended her rationality, and an exquisite smile appeared on her serene face.
"Then do you have a way... to cure them?"
"..."
The man stared at her and her smile in silence. Then he lowered his head, and raised it again without a word.
She did not understand why the man would choose to make the children feel better instead of treating them directly.
She did not know what the man's silence, and his rare "unnecessary actions," truly meant.
If it were someone who knew him well enough—like Elysia, Mobius, or Kevin—they would have guessed his thoughts immediately.
But the nun did not know him well enough.
Sometimes, people discuss which is more painful: to have no hope from the very beginning, or to lose hope after seeing its dawn.
Some say that if there is no hope from the start, the pain will persist until one becomes numb. But to lose hope after having it causes double the agony, enough to make one hate the world that gave that hope—and the person who gave it.
But at least, there is still someone left to hate.
The man felt the sunlight was blinding. Even through the mask, it was incredibly piercing.
"Yes." He nodded. And the nun smiled.
...
"That is... the story of how Lin and I first met..."
Raiden Mei had expected a thrilling encounter, but what Aponia spoke of was a beautiful meeting, much like a princess encountering a prince in a fairy tale.
A chain of events that began with a single lie.
Mei analyzed which parts of the story were true and which were false, and what message Aponia was trying to convey...
"Time is up, Mei. Please return."
Mei's vision went black. Her consciousness began to blur instantly, while Aponia voice echoed from afar around her...
"I believe in him, even more than in fate. So, Mei..."
The blurred words dissipated by her ear.