Honkai: Fire Moth Herrschers-Chapter 248: Called Human

"Pilot's brainwave status normal!"

"Ajax left arm normal, right arm normal, left leg normal, right leg normal, torso normal. Preparing connection to Honkai Energy Reactor!"

"Pilot, please initiate neural synchronization!"

The command was transmitted directly into Mike's mind via the neural interface device inserted into his spinal cord.

He wanted to take a couple of deep breaths to ease his somewhat tense nerves, but instead, a stream of bubbles escaped his lips, and his trachea suddenly felt tight—he really wasn't used to this nutrient fluid...

The blockage just below his neck was incredibly uncomfortable. He couldn't help but bend over, steadying the transparent, astronaut-helmet-like visor with his hand.

Alright, he had to admit, aside from being more form-fitting, less bulky, and having the neural interface system added to the back, his combat suit seemed suspiciously similar to an astronaut's... Okay, looking at the rough workmanship in many places, and this lightbulb-style visor that completely clashed with the suit's otherwise sleek design, Mike figured it was just a modified spacesuit.

"Pilot, what's wrong? The Honkai Energy Reactor has been reinstalled. Proceed with neural synchronization immediately!"

"Choked on the nutrient fluid, it's fine, I just need a moment..."

Mike clenched his right fist and pressed it against his chest, rubbing vigorously. He wasn't sure if his own massage was working or if the warmth from his hand transferred to his windpipe, but the nutrient fluid started flowing a bit more smoothly.

But Taro didn't care about that. He simply urged impassively:

"Pilot, proceed with neural synchronization at once."

Mike gave a wry smile. The cockpit was located in the mecha's head. Even considering protective measures and repeated additions of composite armor plating inside, it was still as large as a living room, giving him plenty of space to move.

But he was the only one in this massive cockpit. Neural synchronization required pulling a data cable from the cockpit wall and inserting it into the neural interface system on his spine.

The entire process was not only accompanied by intense pain, but his movement and vision were restricted by the combat suit, often requiring multiple attempts to plug the cable into the correct port.

"Seriously, couldn't someone help with this part..." he muttered under his breath. Back when he was a pilot, those old pros on the ground crew were incredibly dedicated. These guys clearly couldn't compare...

Taro didn't answer him, just urged again:

"Pilot, hurry up with the neural synchronization! Don't waste everyone's time!"

"Understood."

The reason no one entered the cockpit to assist with preparations was simple—during the initial experiments, that was the procedure. However, one pilot went berserk after neural connection, taking the entire Ajax with him.

By the time the pilot's nerves couldn't handle the strain and burned out, the work team that had entered the cockpit with him had already been dismembered.

Mike, naturally, knew none of this. He yanked the data cable out and dragged it across the floor as he stepped onto the anti-gravity pilot seat in the center of the cockpit.

Once the neural connection was complete, Ajax would synchronize with his line of sight and movements, so he had to be in the pilot seat before connecting.

"Pilot is in the command seat. Anti-gravity system activated."

Rings of blue light illuminated around Mike's feet, and then his entire body floated upwards.

The sensation was truly bizarre. Unlike flying a plane, he was now genuinely suspended in mid-air.

He reached both hands behind his back, gripping the data cable, and began probing for the interface port.

This process couldn't be rushed; hurrying only wasted more time. As a pilot himself, Mike's composure wouldn't waver, but he was afraid Taro would keep nagging him... That feeling of being rushed was genuinely annoying and could even affect his mental state.

So, he anticipated Taro's anticipation, speaking up before the other man could:

"Say, Minister Taro, if the budget allows, could you install mirrors on the front and both sides for me? It would make connecting the data cable much easier."

In a way, after the series of blows he'd suffered, Mike had learned to let things go. What could he struggle against or resist now?

Instead of getting emotional, it was better to accept things calmly. Only children fret over a multitude of "problems." Adults... hehe, often have no choice.

"Mirrors are out. They could shatter upon impact. If shards get caught in the anti-gravity pilot seat, the pilot would be in danger. We could consider installing a camera behind you, using holographic projection to show you your back... Are you done yet?"

Taro explained at length, but ultimately couldn't resist urging him on.

Mike didn't speak. He could feel it; he was close to finding the right spot!

Whether he could nail it in one go depended on this!

Thump!

The instant the data cable made contact with the port, his heart felt like it was squeezed, and then a heavy, powerful heartbeat echoed in his ears.

He didn't pay it much mind at first. This had happened during the previous sync test, and he hadn't thought much of it then, just assuming he was nervous.

But just as he was about to connect the cable fully, the heartbeat grew faster, stronger. He wasn't sure if it was his imagination, but he felt the entire cockpit trembling. It was clearly a biological, instinctual response—

Impatience! Eagerness!

"Although Ajax looks like a mecha, it's far more than that."

He recalled Taro's words again. After saying that, the man had clammed up.

What secret did this giant mecha hide?

Mike had no time to ponder further. The data cable slid all the way in. A jolt ran through his body, followed by slight convulsions.

"Neural synchronization initiated... 17%..."

"31%..."

"43%..."

"Synchronization rate stabilizing. Although the value isn't very high, it should be sufficient for controlling Ajax to complete simple tasks."

Mike's vision went black. Three to five seconds later, small white points of light began to flash before his eyes, rotating around the center of his vision. They trailed long streaks behind them, like a star chart recorded at the North Pole.

Suddenly, color gradually filled the darkness. Light and shadow spread from the center of his vision. Upon closer inspection, the edges of the light and shadow were composed of tiny hexagonal matrices.

When he came back to his senses, the first thing he saw was the restraining equipment slowly moving away from "his" chest.

He controlled the two massive hands, spreading them out before him. What met his eyes wasn't familiar flesh and blood, but the steely grey-blue hue of metal under the lights.

He clenched his fists forcefully again. The previous sync test had ended here, but for this experiment, it was just the beginning.

"Very good. Open all armor doors. The pilot is ready."

Following Taro's command, Ajax's iron-grey head lifted, looking straight ahead.

White vapor filled the enclosed base. Pulled by hydraulic power, the first layer of armor doors slid open to the sides, revealing... the second layer of armor doors behind it.

Then the third layer, fourth, fifth... until the tenth gate slid open, allowing bright sunlight, accompanied by its inevitable shadows, to flood in.

"Pilot, prepare to walk. Maintain balance. Left foot first. Lift—"

Taro personally directed Ajax's every move, even breaking down something as simple as walking into separate actions.

This wasn't him being a control freak. As a participant in this project, he knew well enough—having one's body suddenly magnified dozens of times, no, not just magnified, but replaced with a new body, utterly unfamiliar from every angle—even simple walking was incredibly difficult initially due to lack of familiarity.

After all, even patients bedridden for just ten days or a couple of weeks often struggle to stand steady and easily fall when first getting up, needing support. Let alone a completely alien body.

And the space within these ten armor doors was, theoretically, the final "test." Once outside the facility, in the vast open world, it wouldn't be an "experiment" anymore, but a "performance" dedicated to Mei—one that absolutely could not go wrong.

At least, that's what Kiel had told him.

Although he was somewhat annoyed by Kiel horning in on this project he had managed for so long at the very end, they had been superior and subordinate, as well as brothers, for many years. Taro didn't mind that much... really didn't mind.

Though originally, he had intended for a much grander reveal, inviting all major global media outlets, and then asking Mei what she thought.

Thinking about it now, this way was probably more appropriate.

But regardless, one thing was certain—this was the biggest gamble of Taro's life! He had to ensure the demonstration process was flawless!

Therefore, he actually managed to maintain his patience now. Normally, if a pilot froze up, even knowing it was right after synchronization and their consciousness hadn't fully transitioned, they would have received a thorough tongue-lashing from him.

"Lift slowly, steady now, follow my count... Three, two, one... Lift!"

A full ten seconds after the final "Lift," accompanied by a grating screech of metal, white mist puffed out from all the joints of the giant mecha named Ajax's entire left leg. The hydraulic assist systems visibly twitched. Then, Ajax's left knee slowly bent, first the heel, then the toes gradually lifted off the ground.

"Good!" Taro shouted into the microphone first, only realizing a moment later: "Stop! That's enough! Stop! Don't lift any further!"

But it was too late. With a tremendous CRASH, Ajax's body tilted to the right, inevitably leaning against the armor wall.

The special alloy armor, identical to Fire Moth's, instantly dented inwards significantly, the edges of the dent crinkling like a chrysanthemum.

This time, before Taro could give commands, Ajax, under the pilot's control, pushed against the wall with both hands, seemingly trying to use the leverage to stand up again.

"Idiot!"

Seeing the massive body tilting to the left—towards his own position—Taro cursed under his breath, tossed the microphone aside, and ran backward without looking back.

BOOM!

---||---

Mei felt the second wave of vibrations through the floor, the muscles in her cheek twitching slightly.

She probably already knew what the so-called humanoid general-purpose combat weapon was—just something Michael had played with and discarded.

Initially, she had been slightly concerned. Giant humanoid mecha, while staples of science fiction and not novel, represented something grounded in reality because of that very fact—feasibility.

If MANTISes didn't exist, this would likely have been humanity's chosen method to fight the Honkai in the end.

However, judging by those two impacts just now, either the pilot was inexperienced with first-time control, or there were design or manufacturing flaws with the machine itself...

She subtly glanced at Kiel beside her. The old man felt her gaze and turned his head to meet hers without showing any weakness.

After two or three seconds, another smile bloomed on his deeply lined face, as if he didn't understand the chilling implication of those two thuds, nor heard Taro's curses through his miniature earpiece.

Mei narrowed her eyes and generously returned a smile.

In her mind, Ato's voice sounded:

"Doctor, something's strange. Should we make preparations?"

Mei's lip twitched. Her own constitution, according to the models she built and Prometheus's calculations, was unsuitable for becoming a MANTIS...

That's why she had been waiting for Ato to contact her!

Finally...

"We can't be too careful, especially since they aren't truly on our side anyway. Have Aldemir and the others find an opportunity to deploy Vill-V's devices. This isn't our home turf; having a backup plan is safer."

Psychic-sensitive MANTISes were so convenient. Though they stood motionless, the necessary words and meanings were conveyed completely. Hand gestures couldn't compare.

The only unfortunate part was that Mei couldn't become a MANTIS, so she could only passively receive Ato's "calls," which was somewhat inconvenient.

Wait!

Mei suddenly thought of something, turned slightly, and looked towards her rear flank—

Blanka keenly sensed her gaze and immediately stood straighter, chest out, eyes narrowed, scanning the surrounding staff. But Mei had just seen her covering her mouth, stifling laughter.

A bit further away, Aldemir subtly clicked his heels together, an unconscious reaction to receiving and acknowledging an order. But... why was his face so red?

Mei turned reflexively to the other side. Unsurprisingly, Evangeline's cheeks were also flushed...

Seriously... could they have a little sense of urgency?

Strangely enough, Mei's first reaction wasn't annoyance or amusement, but Kevin's image inexplicably popping into her head.

She couldn't help but shake her head and chuckle silently—it seemed things had been going too smoothly lately, making everyone complacent.

But was it really just complacency?

Mei remembered a few days ago, right after the Eighth Honkai Eruption ended, Andre, the old soldier who had always followed Ato, submitted his retirement application.

He was a true veteran who had enlisted even before the First Honkai Eruption, with seniority older than Fire Moth itself... no, to be precise, a veteran who enlisted only three years after... that other renowned veteran.

"I'm curious. Given your age and seniority, your monthly allowance ranks in the top ten of the organization, and your family receives special care. Even just retiring from the combat sequence would be fine. Why withdraw completely from Fire Moth?"

Yes, completely withdraw.

Like Himeko, just retiring from combat duty meant being assigned a very leisurely sinecure. From then on, one could enjoy tea in the underground city, take leisurely strolls, do whatever they wanted. As long as a disaster like the Seventh Honkai Eruption didn't occur, life couldn't be more comfortable.

"Are you dissatisfied with the organization? Or did you have a conflict with someone?"

Mei vaguely remembered being genuinely angry back then. It wasn't without precedent. Fire Moth had a dual-track system for salary and promotion.

Promotion was very strict; tactical skill without command ability wouldn't get you promoted above squad leader—even Kevin was no exception. But salary was more tied to seniority.

So, it wasn't unheard of for ambitious young members to provoke veterans like Andre.

"Hehe, there isn't that much damn drama in the world."

Andre shook his head with a bitter smile.

"I just feel... alright, honestly, I'm scared. I'm scared of dying."

Fear of death is only human. Mei didn't think less of him for it. Did people like Michael or Kevin truly feel no fear when facing life-or-death battles? Impossible. People who have completely overcome fear don't exist, because that contradicts the results of the human endocrine system.

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In other words, if a person didn't even fear death, they would no longer possess the will to survive, they could no longer live... they couldn't even be called human.

Precisely because the fear of death cannot be completely overcome, soldiers who fight desperately while harboring this fear are all the more admirable.

So Mei wouldn't look down on Andre for saying this. She made one last attempt to retain him: "You can withdraw from the combat sequence, like Himeko. You won't have to go to the battlefield but can still enjoy the benefits you deserve. Look at her, tending her flowers every day, even finding the time to use it as a starting point for biology research."

"Hehe, I'm different from Captain Himeko, after all. She's younger than me, and her emotional life is a mess... or rather, she's given all her love to this organization. But I'm different.

"I still have my wife, and a son who's grown but still single. I'm a bit more worldly than her. It might sound bad, but after the Seventh Honkai Eruption, my wife kept feeling unsafe here. Besides, we're both pushing sixty. We spent the first half of our lives giving a lot for humanity. In the second half, we just want to fulfill the wishes we had when we were young—I want to take her and my son traveling around the world."

"But the outside world isn't safe either..."

"Yes, but so what? I'm afraid of dying. Not just death itself, but I'm also afraid... if I have to die, I want to die in the arms of the person I love most, even if we're eaten by Honkai Beasts together. Not melt into the scorched earth after some random explosion, leaving her alone without even my bones to find..."

---||---

As internal members of Fire Moth, everyone had a somewhat tacit understanding regarding death.

Some things, precisely because of such oppressive circumstances, become even more precious and... tragic.

So Mei didn't intend to say much more.

However, Kiel saw her frowning expression and, perhaps misinterpreting something, asked:

"Dr. Mei, you don't seem very happy?"

Mei smirked and smoothly picked up the conversation: "I think I know what you've made—a giant humanoid mecha, right? Did you know, Michael, Vill-V, and I have evaluated the possibility of such weapons? Compared to MANTISes, the technology required is lower, making it more suitable for mass production. But the plan was ultimately rejected. Do you know why?"

Kiel seemed to have expected this. He deliberately leaned in, feigning rapt attention:

"Oh? Please enlighten us, Dr. Mei."

The scene turned cold for a few seconds. Mei secretly tried to gauge his thoughts, but the necessary precautions were already taken. Pushing further meant confrontation, which was unnecessary.

"Because the enlarged size, while seemingly granting greater power, also makes movements relatively slow. When facing human-sized Herrschers, it's too easily destroyed in an instant."

"Ah, precisely because we knew about this problem, we designated this mecha's role as combating Emperor-level and above Honkai Beasts."

Mei smiled along. As if she'd believe that!

She was certain they must have achieved some kind of technological breakthrough to appear so confident.

Fire Moth wasn't without the blueprints for the "Wanderer" that Michael had constructed earlier. It was an early work by Vill-V, and with current technology, mass production was entirely possible. But due to the problem Mei just mentioned, the idea was eventually shelved.

She didn't believe SEELE was unaware of this. Thus, she actually felt a sliver of anticipation for the mecha about to be demonstrated.

BOOM!

BOOM!

BOOM!

After a brief silence, Ajax began moving again.

Kiel waved his hand, gesturing for Mei to accompany him to the observation area.

The first thing she saw was the vast expanse of land, dotted sparsely only by rolling tumbleweeds.

It was strange. The Mu Continent's area was just over ten million square kilometers, yet United Government statistics claimed half the world's remaining population—two billion people—lived here.

With such population density, finding such an uninhabited place was truly unbelievable.

A sudden shadow interrupted Mei's thoughts. She watched as a huge, iron-grey back of a head emerged below her line of sight. Then, Ajax walked out, neither hurried nor slow.

Its appearance wasn't particularly stunning, looking just like an ordinary mecha. A long data cable connected to its tailbone section, resembling a wired mouse. Mei's first impression was disappointment.

But as a professional, she immediately noticed the anomaly—Impossible! Mechanical creations, no matter how bio-mimetic, their joints couldn't possibly exhibit such natural curvature!

Mechanical structures are fundamentally different from human muscles and bones. The details of movement, like the hip motion during walking, the knee bend, the ankle rotation when lifting the foot, the droop of the toes... all these aspects show significant differences.

Technology couldn't change this, nor was there a need to. But the current Ajax, though appearing mechanical on the surface, moved in every way like...

"Exactly! Who would have thought! Even the renowned Dr. Mei can misjudge things—this isn't a mecha at all! Its entire body is covered in artificial flesh and blood. Ultimately, viewed through Dr. Mobius's values, perhaps it could even be called human!"