Kosmo and Sakura were the last to arrive, and of course, they were met with a stern rebuke from the higher-ups. Even though Lumine was the fastest-growing warrior within the Fire Moth, it was not permissible in principle to involve civilians in the battle against the Honkai.
Lumine simply stated his reasons, which he had already prepared, without any expression, and then asked Kevin and the other two about their willingness to join the Fire Moth.
After Kevin, Kosmo, and Dystopia agreed, and with Ato smoothing things over, the higher-ups didn't say anything more, only requesting that Lumine and Elysia submit their self-criticisms on time.
Even so, Kevin and the others were still not allowed to participate in the campaign against the Third Herrscher; they were only permitted to assist in dealing with Honkai Beasts from the outside under Ato's command. After all, they were not officially trained soldiers, although Dystopia was neither officially nor officially trained.
After ending her communication with the higher-ups, Dystopia grabbed Kosmo by the ear and pulled her aside, expressing her strong dissatisfaction with Kosmo's insistence on going to Nagazora City alone and then abandoning her to enter the danger zone by himself.
Kosmo could only silently let Dystopia pull his ears and pinch his face.
Standing next to Lumine, Elysia said, "Seeing this scene, I suddenly miss the days when Kosmo had horns. It felt pretty good to handle."
"Dystopia and Ato… they were two very important people in Kosmos's life." Lumine said with his arms crossed, "Their successive sacrifices in the Eighth and Ninth Herrscher incidents were a huge blow to Kosmos."
Kevin recalled Kosmo's departure from the team in his previous life and his accusations against him, and said, "That was... a sacrifice made out of necessity."
"There's nothing I can do…" Lumine lowered his eyes. He was thinking about the tragedy of the constraints. If he had to choose again, he would still agree with the evil plan. If he wanted to defeat the end, this matter was unavoidable.
But even if most of the fusion warriors are preserved, can they really win against the End? Having personally experienced the power of the End, he knows very well that no matter how many fusion warriors survive, they are no match for the End.
"Lumine, do you think we can win this time?" Kevin asked. "We know our fate, we know the characteristics of our enemy, but even so..."
"We can only hold out until the end. When the end comes, there will be no way to turn the tide. If the Chimera Project can be executed earlier and more smoothly this time, there might be some hope," Lumine said. No matter what he thought these days, with the current technology, he couldn't think of any other way to defeat the end except for the Chimera Project to improve individual combat capabilities.
Kevin looked at Lumine, and before he could speak, Lumine continued, "However, Mobius is quite resolute this time. Nothing I did could persuade her to agree to let me carry out the Chimera Project, but..."
"She's right," Kevin said. "We can look for other ways instead of leaving you to bear all of this alone."
Lumine looked at Kevin: "What if I said that this was also an unavoidable sacrifice?"
"If we still cannot defeat the End this time, then it will not be a helpless sacrifice, but a meaningless sacrifice," Kevin said, looking at Lumine.
Elysia listened silently to the two of them talking. She and Lumine had discussed this issue before, and Lumine had said, "It's like the question you asked Kevin: if pulling the trigger on me could save most people, what would you choose?"
Her answer at that time: "Me, I'd definitely take the hit. I've always wanted a dramatic slow-motion scene with a sad soundtrack playing in the background"
Lumine was silent for a moment, then looked in the direction where the Herrscher was born in the central area: "If you don't try, you'll never know what the outcome will be, even if there's only the slightest possibility… Even despair deserves to be challenged."
"Lumine, what are you really fighting for, willing to sacrifice yourself just to try?" Kevin asked bluntly. This question had always lingered in his mind. His own resolve was clear—everything he did was for Mei.
But what about Lumine? What was his motivation?
To the point of being willing to sacrifice oneself just to try? Really just for an uncertain outcome?
What if, after all that, The End still doesn't lose? Wouldn't it all be in vain, just like before?
Lumine turned his gaze to Elysia. "Elysia, I think I can give you my answer now. Before you decided to sacrifice yourself, were you absolutely certain of the success of your abilities—or were you simply choosing to believe?"
Elysia was taken aback. In the end, she had also been trying. But sacrificing oneself and watching others walk the same path carried very different weights in the heart.
"If we can't change your mind, then this time, let me carry out this plan," Kevin said, his voice steady, carrying both resolve and trust, "You don't have to bear everything alone Lumine"
Lumine was the first person to execute the Chimera Project, and following in his footsteps, Kevin became the second executor of the Chimera Project. This time, Kevin planned to execute the Chimera Project simultaneously with Lumine, standing beside him rather than behind him, sharing both the risk and the burden.
"We'll talk to Möbius later," Lumine said, looking down at the data on the instrument. The flickering readings reflected in his eyes, cold and unwavering. "Right now, every second matters. We need to prepare for battle."
"Well then, Kevin, we'll be going now~" Elysia waved to Kevin with her usual gentle smile, as if this were merely a farewell before an ordinary mission. Then she followed Lumine into the central area with Sakura, their figures gradually swallowed by the unstable light and distant echoes of Honkai energy.
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Jujutsu Kaisen: Hebi