Honkai, why do you only throw me into high-level battles?

Time rewound slightly.

The streets of Nagazora City were littered with mangled car wrecks. There was no sign of panicked evacuation, no chaos. The positions of the wrecks clearly indicated normal city traffic, frozen as if everyone had instantly lost their lives in a massive, unending chain reaction crash.

Now, all was silent, a scene beyond mourning.

Lin Wei walked through this silent forest of steel coffins, but he didn't pause to grieve for the city. Not only because he had long grown accustomed to such sights after living here for so long, but more importantly, in this Honkai-ravaged world, "remembering the past" was a luxury.

Only those with a future could truly have a past.

So, Lin Wei continued forward, ignoring the remnants of the deceased half-buried in the dust—children's toys, adults' briefcases.

The dead were gone; the living had to move on.

When the sea finally claimed this land, the power of nature would hold a single, grand funeral for all the lost souls.

"I thought you would go straight to that building," Yae Sakura's cold voice echoed in Lin Wei's mind. She could sense the turbulent undercurrent beneath the seemingly calm surface of his emotions. It wasn't anger, but a profound, unutterable sadness, resonating like a mournful song, yet never surfacing, locked deep within his heart.

Through their shared vision, she saw the steel graveyard, and wanting to distract both of them, she spoke.

This man's empathy is too strong, Yae Sakura sighed inwardly, feeling even more compassion for him. It was precisely this empathy that made him willing to save her from her nightmare…

Though Lin Wei was generally heading towards that towering structure that dwarfed all other buildings, his path deviated slightly, as if he had another destination in mind.

"To meet new friends, of course I need a new outfit. After that fight, these clothes are filthy. It would be rude to meet Anti-Entropy like this." Lin Wei chatted casually with Yae Sakura, a smile playing on his lips, as if the world around him didn't concern him, as if he were just a passing tourist.

"Are you so sure there's someone in that building?" Yae Sakura's gentle voice accompanied him, a constant reminder that he wasn't alone.

"Who knows? Let's go see. I don't recall ME Corp announcing a relocation." Lin Wei's tone was playful. Only with such a vast, desolate wasteland as cover could Cocolia safely conduct her "secret," "grand experiment."

"If it really is empty, then so be it. I'll just activate my backup plan."

Lin Wei scanned his surroundings, finally spotting a seemingly intact shopping mall in the distance to the west. He turned and walked towards it, continuing, "If there's no one there, I'll just stay there. Lie in wait and see who comes looking for me first, Anti-Entropy or World Serpent."

Lin Wei was confident. Cocolia had made thorough preparations before starting the Honkai experiment. There was no way she hadn't designed some security measures for the headquarters building she had worked so hard to acquire.

"Therefore, as long as I show up there, that self-righteous, foolish woman, Cocolia, will definitely appear. And whether she represents Anti-Entropy or World Serpent makes no difference to me."

Lin Wei walked at a steady pace, approaching the mall. "Through her, I can try to establish a connection with Anti-Entropy. Then I'll have my first 'ally' in this world, giving me more room to maneuver."

"..." Yae Sakura fell silent, unable to keep up with Lin Wei's train of thought.

Is this how you schemers think? she thought. Terrifying!

But then again, this was Lin Wei, not someone else. Why be so wary?

She relaxed her grip on her katana, thinking, This is how smart people think. Amazing!

"What if you're wrong?" Yae Sakura thought she should contribute to the conversation, so she posed a question.

Indeed, what Lin Wei said was just his wishful thinking. Cocolia and World Serpent might not act according to his plan, especially World Serpent.

"Heh, it doesn't matter. It's all the same." Lin Wei chuckled, his expression amiable. "Since I managed to avoid Schicksal's search with your help, Sakura, Gray Serpent won't be able to manipulate me so easily."

Dodging the occasional stray Honkai soldier or beast, Lin Wei entered the mall, heading towards the clothing section, continuing to explain his thoughts to Yae Sakura. "Since Schicksal doesn't know I exist, it means that for a while, the only organization in this world that can track me is World Serpent."

At this point, Lin Wei's amiable smile turned icy. "Therefore, if I encounter an 'accident' on Anti-Entropy's territory that clearly isn't their doing, then no matter if it's from World Serpent, Schicksal, or someone else, it will all point to one source—World Serpent."

"...So?" Yae Sakura was starting to understand, but she wanted confirmation.

"Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me. Gray Serpent schemed against me once, and I can consider it a 'well-intentioned reminder.' But if it happens again, I'll take it as a hostile provocation. Then, regarding our 'deal,' it would be Gray Serpent who broke the agreement first, and me retaliating second. In that case, he can't blame me. Heh… even if Kevin returns, he can't change the facts."

Lin Wei chuckled coldly. He just wanted to live a peaceful life in this desolate Nagazora City,

Facing the sea, with spring blossoms,

Scavenging, chopping wood, tending to his crops.

I just wanted to be a good person, but Officer Gray Serpent wouldn't give me the chance!

"Retaliate? How?" Yae Sakura was puzzled, not because she thought Lin Wei was powerless, but because she knew he wouldn't do anything that could jeopardize the "story's progression."

"...Heh, I have to prepare for the worst, don't I? If Gray Serpent really pushes me too far, mutual destruction is better than surrendering!"

Lin Wei suddenly stopped, sneered, and channeled his rising rage into a single gunshot. "Bang!" The large display window shattered as he jumped out of the mall. Standing in the cold wind, he sighed. "This is my bottom line—I don't have one. As for the consequences? Heh, not my problem. I'm not a savior!"

Lin Wei's words were insincere. If possible, he didn't want to go that far.

But if pushed to the edge, even he was afraid of what he might become.

So, don't push me.

"...I really hope it doesn't come to that." Yae Sakura sighed. She was also ready to face any future with Lin Wei.

This silent support warmed Lin Wei's heart. He turned and stepped back into the mall over the broken glass, his tone returning to normal. "Don't worry, it's not that bad. I just discovered a very interesting truth."

"What truth?" Yae Sakura had complete faith in Lin Wei.

A man who could defeat a Herrscher… you could trust him to do anything.

Except give birth.

"I discovered that this world is a three-way game. Of course, this 'three-way' doesn't refer to Schicksal, World Serpent, and Anti-Entropy. Before absorbing the Far East Branch, Anti-Entropy wasn't even qualified to participate. So, in reality, it's currently a game of cat and mouse between Schicksal and World Serpent."

Lin Wei's smile was a mix of amusement and anticipation. "But my appearance changed everything. I hold the secrets of the Stigmata project, and I maintain a 'balance of terror' with Gray Serpent, where we can mutually destroy each other. I also have concrete information about the Second Divine Key, which is enough to entice Otto. Moreover..."

Lin Wei's smile turned malicious as he rummaged through the clothing racks. The clothes on display were tattered and ruined, so he went in search of the storeroom. "Heh, Otto still thinks I'm an 'experiment subject' who escaped from World Serpent. So, information about World Serpent is my second bargaining chip. More importantly, I can easily kill Otto, but the consequences are also something I can't bear. That's another 'balance of terror'!"

"And I, Lin Wei! Even though I'm alone, even though I'm weak right now, they can't afford to kill me! Pandora's existence, RIN's existence, forces them to be wary of me! Whether it's World Serpent or Schicksal, neither of them can touch me!"

Lin Wei kicked over a rusty clothing rack, his laughter unrestrained, mocking the absurdity of reality, the ridiculousness of the world. "Hahahahaha! Sakura, don't you find it interesting? I've become the third pillar in this world's 'three-way game'! If I wanted to, I could easily change the entire world's situation! This is my place in this world!"

"An uncontrollable 'pawn,' but also a player using myself as a pawn! No matter which side I lean towards, it will irrevocably impact the other!"

After laughing for a while, Lin Wei calmed down, picked up the fallen rack, and put it back in its place. He sighed, "At least until Kevin returns, the relationship between me, Otto, and Gray Serpent is essentially like this—even though Otto doesn't know about me yet, I can make him aware! Siding with Schicksal, siding with Otto, would put World Serpent and Gray Serpent at a severe disadvantage!"

"This is my backup plan, just in case..."

He took out all the cash he had, carefully organizing it in the cash register's drawer, murmuring to himself.

After "paying," Lin Wei turned and entered the store's storeroom, looking for unopened, clean clothes.

"...You're sad, Lin Wei," Yae Sakura's voice softly broke the silence after a while, a gentle comfort.

"...Yes, a three-way game, how laughable, those pretty words! In the end, it's all just scheming and fighting for selfish desires. Me, Otto, we're all selfish bastards." Lin Wei scoffed, as if mocking himself.

"Compared to us, Gray Serpent seems more like the one trying to save the world. Even though I don't like their 'Stigmata Project,' compared to clowns like us..."

Lin Wei paused in his rummaging, sighing. "Sakura, do you… hate me for being so calculating?"

At least, he hated himself for it.

"..." Yae Sakura didn't know what to say. Using the power of the Stigmata, she manifested before Lin Wei, silently embracing him. Her pink hair carried the fragrance of cherry blossoms, and the soft touch of her fox ears brushed against his cheek.

Then, she merged back with him.

"...Forget it! I just looked after a few kids for a while. Who am I kidding, thinking I'm some kind of good person?" Lin Wei chuckled self-deprecatingly. He picked out a few outfits and walked to the now-clean full-length mirror, asking Yae Sakura, "Sakura, which one looks better?"

Through Lin Wei's eyes, Yae Sakura looked at his reflection. He's a handsome young man. Why does he put himself down so much? she thought. Honestly, why is he so self-deprecating?

Annoyed, she replied curtly, "I don't understand your 500-years-in-the-future fashion sense. Decide for yourself."

Then she hung up, so to speak.

Lin Wei was confused. She was fine just now, what happened?

...

A girl's mood can change quickly. After Lin Wei changed into his new clothes, Yae Sakura reconnected and silently took control of his body, rushing towards the ME Corp building at the fastest speed he could currently handle.

Yae Sakura's speed was incredible. With swift movements, she zipped past Honkai soldiers and beasts before they could react, leaving them confusedly searching for her.

Then, as they neared the building, she quietly disconnected and left.

Well, it seems she's still mad… Lin Wei scratched his head awkwardly, then, cane in hand, strolled towards the imposing skyscraper, completely ignoring the Titan mechs patrolling the area.

The towering mechs seemed to be blind to Lin Wei, allowing him to pass right by them, all the way to the building's entrance.

Lin Wei smiled faintly, unsurprised. He knew the reason.

"Verification complete. Welcome home..." As he approached the entrance, the heavy metal doors opened automatically, as if welcoming their master.

Every security door within the building was the same, posing no obstacle to Lin Wei with the Key of Corruption, not even triggering an alarm.

Just like that, he strolled into the main elevator and went straight to the top floor!

Then, watching the unfolding drama on the security monitors, Lin Wei clapped. Not enough drama, give me more.

Unfortunately, the show ended before he had his fill.

Feeling unfulfilled, Lin Wei decided to make his entrance—

"Hello there, everyone from Anti-Entropy..."