"A date... a date my ass! Sigh... If I hadn't bumped into you, you'd probably be passed out on the side of the road for someone else to pick up..."
Looking at Himeko, who was snoring peacefully at the bow of the boat, Michael didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
They had only exchanged a few sentences before her tongue started getting tied, and she boldly declared she wanted to go on a date by the lake...
At the time, Michael had tried to half-heartedly refuse and half-heartedly talk her out of it, but she'd dragged him to the lakeside anyway. There, she searched along the shore for a moment before finding a small, light boat.
"See this boat? Specially... hic! Specially prepared for this moment. Just give me a little nod... mmmph! This boat also has..."
"No!" Michael's refusal was blunt.
"Sigh... what a shame. I finally run into a handsome guy, and he won't even give me a chance for a date... What, you think I'm too old?"
"No, it has nothing to do with age. I'm just not interested in the opposite sex."
To escape Himeko's pestering, Michael had to resort to a trump card he'd been saving for a long time.
Sure enough, the moment he said it, Himeko fell silent for a full thirty seconds. Afterward, she let out a long, grief-stricken sigh, but then immediately smiled and said:
"That's some excuse... You don't really think I'd believe that, do you?"
True or false, as long as Michael remained silent, she was out of options. In the end, she could only explain, half-dazed and half-regretful:
"Alright... hic! Alright, no more jokes... this boat is my secret weapon for escaping... hic! See that island over there? St. Freya High School. Everyone in Nagazora City has probably heard of it... hic! I'm the academy's cafeteria manager, and I have to get back before dawn, or there'll be big trouble..."
"Look, you've already brought me this far, so be a good guy and see it through. Just row this boat forward, to the edge of the island. My... hic! Accomplice will be there to meet me... Be a good boy... Big sis will treat you to... breakfast..."
Her words grew increasingly muddled until she finally passed out drunk at the bow. Michael was both exasperated and amused.
He had no intention of making contact with St. Freya High School just yet, and as for her so-called "accomplice"...
But looking at that face, so similar to the one in his memories... no, it was identical, with the same fiery red hair. In the end, Michael's heart softened.
"Forget it. I've come this far, might as well take you back... What's so great about alcohol, anyway? If there's a next, next time, maybe pick a new hobby. Like coffee?"
Michael gently twirled a strand of her hair, then took a small flask from her coat pocket. He raised it in a toast to the setting moon and drained the contents in one go.
It was vodka, not particularly strong. It went down smoothly, no different from drinking water, with the unchanging taste of alcohol mixed with water... What was so good about this stuff?
But people don't drink because something "tastes good," do they?
Michael rowed absentmindedly, savoring the slight buzz... It was nothing special.
No matter how you romanticized it, it was just a form of escape.
But so what if it was?
"Escaping isn't always a mistake, Michael. The most important thing in life is to live. If facing reality makes you lose the will to live, then escaping isn't such a bad option. Because as long as you're alive, as long as a person is alive, even for a single second longer than their fated death, it means infinite possibilities."
Fifty thousand years ago, that woman with the same fiery red hair had told him that.
For a period in the past, he had used that as an excuse, indulging in one escape after another. Then, for an even longer period, he had cast those words aside, repeatedly regretting his and others' evasions.
But thinking back now, what Himeko had truly wanted to express wasn't about whether escaping or facing things was right or wrong, but about the act of living itself.
"Thank you."
Michael's lips moved, silently forming the words. He was about to stuff the empty flask back into Himeko's pocket but, on a whim, decided to keep it for himself.
Then, he picked up the oars. Although Himeko's salary could have afforded an electric speedboat of the same size, this was a tool for a "jailbreak."
The loud roar of an engine would ruin any attempt at stealth. Plus, such an act came with great risks. Her boat had been confiscated or stolen before; an electric speedboat wasn't cheap, but losing a small boat like this wouldn't hurt as much.
The only drawback was—it was a real workout for the person rowing.
"Honestly, a whole kilometer. I have to admire this woman. Sneaking out in the dead of night, rowing a kilometer, and then walking another two just for a few drinks..."
It wasn't that Michael couldn't row; he just hated repetitive, meaningless tasks.
"What a pain. I'll just use the Power of the Void to teleport over!"
Michael tossed the oars down in disgust. The boat rocked from side to side, sending ripples of silvery moonlight spreading across the water.
"Ugh... Er... I must be drunk!"
Michael clutched his forehead as the power he had just gathered dissipated into thin air.
Anyway, I've got plenty of time. What's wrong with covering this distance slowly, in a human way?
Of course, he would never admit to such a thought. Finding an excuse, though... that wasn't so hard:
"Hmm, the accomplice Himeko mentioned who would meet her... it's probably Theresa, right? No wonder she dared to let a stranger like me get close to St. Freya High School. Even if something went wrong, she'd have Theresa to back her up. In that case, it's better to show up in a more normal way. Theresa did experience the Second Honkai Eruption, after all. It wouldn't be good if she noticed anything..."
Michael nodded, convinced his reasoning was flawless. He picked up the oars again. One stroke, two strokes... The boat glided forward, breaking through the layers of moonlight with the rhythmic creak of wood, swaying gently as it went.
"Speaking of which, does this count as Himeko having foresight? Did she already guess she'd get caught by Theresa this time... Oh, no wonder, I see now..."
Michael suddenly clutched his forehead again, everything clicking into place.
What "big sister" gets drunk and drags you on a date? If Himeko had returned alone, she would have just gotten a scolding from Theresa. But with a strange man in tow, it would at least divert some of Theresa's attention.
Besides, one doesn't air their dirty laundry in public, especially since St. Freya High School had secrets not disclosed to civilians. If Theresa was busy dealing with him, Himeko could slip by.
As for facing the music later...
"Oh well! We'll deal with tomorrow's problems tomorrow!"
If it were her, that's definitely what she would say. Michael thought, and a smile spread across his face.
The moon overhead had visibly shifted westward. Thick clouds drifted by, revealing and concealing the starlight, which occasionally peeked through the edges of the clouds, casting a soft, blurred light.
It was just a change of mood, as if in the time it took to glance up at the night sky, the boat had already reached the opposite shore.
Michael stopped the boat by the bank. This part of the shore wasn't sand or mud but hard rock. A short distance to his left, he saw a concave section of rock with an iron stake driven into it, a rope coiled around it. It seemed that's where Himeko had been hiding her boat.
He rowed the boat over and tied it to the stake with the rope.
"Hey! Wake up! Wake up!"
Michael patted Himeko's shoulder. Seeing no reaction, he gently slapped her cheek.
A linear flash of light flickered from Himeko's supposedly closed eyes. Just as Michael was about to help her sit up, she mumbled something and slowly rolled over.
"..."
With no other choice, Michael climbed ashore first, then grabbed Himeko's arm, dragged her out of the boat, and hoisted her onto his shoulder.
He looked back. About three or four meters behind him was the fence of St. Freya High School. The section of fence directly behind him was missing three iron bars, looking as comical as the gap-toothed grin of a person with missing teeth.
Michael raised his free right hand and gestured at the gap, instantly understanding. Then, a memory surfaced—
"Give me a hand, I'm stuck..."
"Come on, Captain Himeko, take a deep... ah, no, exhale deeply. Don't worry about your waistline!"
A corner of his mouth twitched, and he couldn't help but let out a soft laugh, his eyes narrowing into thin lines.
"What are you laughing at?"
The voice wasn't Himeko's, but another, flat and sharp, coming from his side.
A chill ran down the side of his neck. In front of him, there was a flurry of footsteps, followed by another, somewhat childish voice.
"You are... Hua, do you know this person?"
Hua grunted, the hand holding her sword trembling slightly. A shifting shadow fell where the blade's edge met Michael's neck.
Michael shrugged his shoulder. Himeko used the momentum to flip in mid-air and land on her feet in front of Theresa. Her eyes, forced wide open, were still a bit dazed, but she instinctively shielded the academy principal, who was stronger than her, behind her.
"Hua, if your hand trembles any more, I'm going to be headless."
Michael ignored Theresa. He appeared remarkably calm. As for his inner state, did that matter?
"Heh!" Hua's laugh was devoid of any warmth. "I don't believe you'd show up here for no reason... No, you showing up in Nagazora City is strange enough... No, you showing up anywhere is strange!"
"Uh... Hua, that last part was a bit of a personal attack..."
"Whether it's a personal attack or not, I don't know. I just know that the last city you appeared in... is already..."
"Let's not bring up the past..."
"No!"
Hua's sword was, at some point, lowered. They stood face to face, bickering back and forth as if they hadn't noticed the other two people present.
Theresa and Himeko watched the scene, their guards gradually lowering.
"You scared me. At first, I thought we'd run into an enemy..." Himeko patted her own face, trying to sober up. Catching a whiff of alcohol on her breath, Theresa took a half-step to the side before analyzing in a low voice:
"If he were an enemy, he wouldn't have thrown you back just now. He would have taken you hostage."
"Ahhh—The Principal is exceptionally brilliant, a master strategist, a great sage... Er, ahem! Let's skip that. So, can I go now?"
"No!"
Just as Theresa was about to firmly refuse, Himeko grabbed her by the back of her collar and lifted her up—being drunk had clearly made her bolder.
"Put me down, you drunkard!"
"Shh!"
Himeko raised a finger to her lips, wagging it slightly, then pointed toward the lakeshore. "See? If we don't get out of here soon, we'll be seriously dense."
Theresa struggled a bit more, only to realize that, at some point, everything around them had fallen silent again.
And the two who seemed to have been arguing just a moment ago were now standing side by side at the lake's edge, silently looking up at the empty night sky, their heads tilted at the exact same angle.
"Uh... I guess we are being a bit intrusive. But... this is the first time I've ever seen her like this..."
Himeko shook her head. She didn't know the girl's origins, only that she was from Mount Taixuan in Shenzhou. But judging by Theresa's attitude toward her, her status at Mount Taixuan must be quite high.
She never thought that randomly picking a handsome-looking guy on the street to "use" would lead to him running into an "acquaintance." The world was truly a small place.
The sound of footsteps behind them grew fainter until they disappeared completely. The void left by the sound was filled by the rising morning breeze.
The ripples on the lake's surface became finer, harmonizing with the rustling of the leaves in the surrounding woods.
In this tranquil atmosphere, Hua spoke.
"Sorry, I got a little carried away just now."
Michael shook his head noncommittally. Perhaps he didn't want to answer, or perhaps he didn't know how, or perhaps there was nothing to say.
"Michael, can you tell me... forget it, you definitely won't tell me."
Hua tilted her head slightly. She needed to know Michael's purpose for being here to decide how to approach him. But she also knew very well that, just like countless times before, Michael would tell her nothing.
"Sorry, you guessed wrong this time!"
Michael turned his face, winking at her. In that instant, the silvery moonlight perfectly concealed his pink pupils. Combined with his upturned lips, for a moment, she thought everything had returned to the time before the tragedy of fifty thousand years ago...
That was impossible, of course. Fortunately, Michael's voice rang out, real and clear:
"If you're asking why I'm at St. Freya High School, it was truly an accident. I was just out for a walk for certain reasons, and I happened to end up here, happened to run into Himeko, and then got used by her a little. Of course, if you don't believe me, there's nothing I can do.
"As for why I'm in Nagazora City, that's obvious—haven't I already achieved my goal? You saw it back there. The future Third Herrscher and the future Second Herrscher are under my control. Their fates will be decided by me."
Michael slanted his eyes, carefully observing Hua's expression. He saw her lips tighten and the muscles in her throat contract. He was prepared for her to ask about Mei and Kiana... but her first words were:
"So, Michael... what exactly did Mobius do to drive you to come out for a walk... and not only that... but from the villa in the Yamate district to here, that's almost across the entire Nagazora City..."
The muscles in Michael's cheeks twitched rapidly. He sneered countless times, then, taking advantage of the moment the first rays of dawn made Hua instinctively squint, he vanished without a trace.
Hua turned to look at the empty space beside her. She had to cast her gaze much further to see, against the backdrop of the morning light, the hazy, cloud-like outlines of distant buildings.
She looked up at the sky, which was gradually turning a deep blue. A few wisps of gray cloud looked like a paintbrush had been casually dragged across paper, leaving behind the blurred mark of soaked ink.
The moon still hung high, but about two and a half of its own widths to its lower right, a small, dazzlingly bright point of light had appeared at some point.
"Fleeting light, fleeting light..."