"Ngh, so... the Herrscher of the End is coming, isn't it..."
"Yeah. What about it, dummy?"
"Um... should we go back to that place one last time?"
"Which place? Twilight Street?... Fine, I don't care either way."
"Okay, let's go then."
Without any warning, when Fu Li woke up the next day, he found Pardo's room empty. All that remained was a rumpled bedspread and a letter telling him not to worry.
She had sensed the coming danger and wanted to return to Twilight Street, the place of her birth—or at least, the place she had lived for as long as she could remember.
Since becoming a MANTIS, she had rarely gone back. Today, she wanted to see Twilight Street again, to see the place that was once her home.
If she wants to go, then let her go.
Elysia had only just passed away. When people are overcome with sorrow, they often want to be alone for a while.
Not long after, in Twilight Street, just as dusk was falling, the rotors of a helicopter slowly ground to a halt.
"Heave-ho..."
Pardo jumped down from the pilot's seat, brushed a stray lock of hair from her forehead, and gazed at the dilapidated ruins before her, a wave of emotion washing over her.
She remembered an old Eastern proverb Hua had told her... no, it was something like, 'Go to war with iron and horses, and return wrapped in a horse's hide.'¹
Did that mean... feeling a sense of pride when you come home after protecting the people you care about?
She had a feeling that wasn't what Hua meant, and it probably shouldn't be used here, but whatever. The general idea was close enough.
Besides, time was tight today. She still had to properly explore this place that was once her 'home'.
With a soft sigh, Pardo put on the black headphones that belonged to Black Pardo.
Music sounded by her ears, echoing through the empty streets, providing a small measure of comfort.
For some reason, Black Pardo had retreated into her inner world again. But Pardo had a feeling that she was even more afraid of seeing this place than she was.
The cat-like girl gazed out at the world before her, a world that seemed to have been cut off from all life, and recalled what it looked like when she first saw it.
Struggle... battle... all the joys and sorrows... the folly of challenging a god...
These things hadn't just happened once, but in a seemingly endless, constantly repeating cycle of war.
"Sigh, honestly... when did I become as sentimental as Sister Eden?"
Pardo stood up from the ground and poured the handful of yellow sand she had scooped up into a small vial.
The girl wasn't greedy. The box she used to store her treasures had limited space, so she would only take this small vial of yellow earth from her hometown.
Though the surrounding earth was endless, this small vial was hers alone.
She tossed her newly acquired treasure into the pile of items behind her and, following her familiar memories, headed towards the little cat cafe where she and Fu Li had lived.
Cats have a special instinct; no matter how long they've been away, they can always find their way home.
But sometimes, when a cat follows the scent of memory back home, they find their territory has been invaded by a familiar person.
Biological instinct made the hair on the back of Pardo's neck stand on end, but a sense of familiarity quickly put her at ease.
In front of the ruins of the sanatorium stood a lone figure. Even though he seemed to be reminiscing, an irrepressible aura of violence radiated from him.
It was... Kalpas.
He stood there, looking at the few lonely graves. He seemed to click his tongue in disdain before turning his head, a rare note of surprise in his voice.
"Hm? You're the little cat?"
"Yeah, it's me, Kalpas."
Seeing that Kalpas seemed to be in a decent mood today, she breathed a sigh of relief, though the interruption of her planned alone time was still a bit frustrating.
But looking at the cat cafe, which had been reduced to ruins, she sighed softly, walked over to Kalpas with her hands behind her back, and looked at the lonely graves on the ground.
On one of the mounds rested a clean, yet clearly inexpensive, doll. If Pardo remembered correctly, it was a gift a child had once given to Kalpas.
Unfortunately, that child had already been in the late stages of Honkai Sickness when they arrived at the sanatorium. So, despite meticulous care and treatment, they still died here.
What was surprising was that, judging by the dust on Kalpas's clothes, he must have just returned from a mission. Yet the doll remained so clean.
Pardo honestly admitted to herself that she couldn't have done the same.
She crouched down and placed the snacks she had brought in front of the grave. Just then, she suddenly heard Kalpas ask.
"Hey, are you here to see them too?"
"Mm-hm. Isn't it obvious?"
"I see."
The man's expression seemed troubled. He thought for a moment before asking, "What about that Herrscher?"
"She doesn't want to come out," Pardo answered truthfully.
"Hmph... Coward."
This time, Pardo didn't reply, and Kalpas said no more, walking away in another direction.
Only after he had left did a black figure coalesce beside Pardo. She was gritting her teeth, looking somewhat annoyed.
"Whew... now that we've seen these little ones, want to go to the next place together?"
"No... you go ahead. Let me be alone for a bit."
"Oh, alright then."
Black Pardo sighed. Looking at the scene before her, she flicked her tail in frustration.
She had seen this sight in her memories before, but seeing it in person still filled her with an inexplicable sense of vexation.
She used to think that all those memories were hers, but now she wasn't so sure.
Though the sorrow in her heart felt real, when she reached out her hand, it felt as if she were touching nothing but a void.
There probably wasn't another being in the world like her, with so many memories that were both hers and not hers.
The only thing she truly possessed was the life she had lived with Fu Li after her birth.
Meanwhile, on the other side.
Dusk had fallen, and a full moon had risen.
"Scrape—scrape—"
Pardo held a shovel, digging at something under the light of the full moon.
"Scrape—scrape—"
No one noticed her. Or rather, aside from Kalpas who had just been here, there was hardly anyone left in the world to notice.
The pit before her grew deeper, the mound of dirt behind her grew higher. Even though this wasn't the first time she had done this, it still felt like she was digging her own grave.
After all, in two of the cycles, Li had fallen before the Herrscher of the End, and she had died on the moon.
—No, no, no, Li is by my side this time. How could I possibly die?
She shook her head, trying to fling the ominous thought away. The two ears on her head wobbled back and forth.
Soon, she would be heading there with everyone else.
Yes, to that round, bright, dead moon hanging in the sky.
So, this might be her last chance to bury these [treasures].
"My favorite canned food... the one-of-a-kind, misprinted bottle cap... my photo album with Li... and the old uniforms I don't wear anymore."
"Hmm... no, not the canned food. It'll still expire if I leave it for too long."
"But, this..."
Looking at the two cloth dolls in her hands, inlaid with countless gems, she hesitated but ultimately placed them in the box and locked it.
Even so, she knew every treasure inside by heart.
This box contained the strange and precious things she had collected since she was a child, all the [wealth] that every [Pardofelis] held dear.
—Alright, alright, that's deep enough.
She wiped away non-existent sweat and patted the treasure chest beside her with reluctance.
—It's just an insurance policy. It won't be long before I come back and dig them up again.
But if that's the case, why am I going through all this trouble? The question arose in her heart, but she quickly reassured herself.
—It's just in case. Right, just in case... these treasures of hers could last until the next era... and see the light of day again someday.
Pardo forced herself to stop thinking about it. With dirt-stained hands, she carefully placed the box at the bottom of the pit.
She gripped the shovel and stared at her treasure for a long time, as if replaying her entire life.
Then, she shoveled a scoop of dirt and poured it onto the box.
A familiar, chilling sensation washed over her, as if the dirt wasn't falling on a chest, but on a [coffin].
—Damn it, why do I keep thinking about these things? I've survived so many times before. I can definitely survive this time, too.
—This time, I'm going to live, and I'm taking Li with me. So, no more pessimistic thoughts.
Pardo, half-angry and half-trembling, buried the box and patted the dirt flat on top.
—There, that's it.
She tossed the shovel aside, turned, and walked away, resolved to go there with everyone else, no matter what...
As a member of the [Thirteen Flame-Chasers], a group that had once existed but was never officially formed in this lifetime.
Though every hair on her body protested, though her mud-caked hands still trembled...
But... she smiled, a smile of relief.
"It's fine.... My luck has always been good."
She was who she was. Even if she was scared to death, she still had to bear the responsibility of the Flame-Chaser name.
After all, compared to her comrades who couldn't carry their memories to the next life, she was already very lucky, wasn't she?
The most important thing in life is to be content.
She kept comforting herself as she went to find the still-dazed Black Pardo, and then they left this place.
Meanwhile, in Dr. MEI's laboratory.
MEI looked at the proposal on her desk, co-authored by Mobius and Fu Li, requesting the abolishment of the 'Ark Project'. She frowned.
As rational as she was, she found it hard to comprehend why they would obstruct this plan.
But her rationality also told her that with the Herrscher of the End set to arrive in just one week, she could not afford any more internal conflict.
So, did the drawbacks outweigh the benefits, or was it the other way around?
¹Translator's Note: The original proverb means "to go to war with glory and die a warrior's death on the battlefield." Pardo's sweet, innocent misinterpretation is that it means to return home proudly after protecting one's loved ones.
Author's PS: Emm, I thought about it, and in case anyone says I'm padding the chapter, I want to explain: I'm not! It's just that the final battle of the Cat chapter is a huge turning point, so I'm laying a lot of groundwork.
In short, the big sweet moments are coming.