A Different Kind of Red
It only took a moment for the world to disappear.
Strange creatures roamed the city's landscape, tearing into buildings with their large forms.
Fire and smoke poured out of shattered glass windows and the sky was darkened by the smog that filled the atmosphere.
The sound of a thunderous rain of bullets and other armaments could be heard echoing throughout the ruined city. Another sound accompanied it, one that was almost like that of a tear forming in one's clothing. The sound was accompanied with the foreboding sense that something had changed, as though the air itself was crying out in pain.
Explosions rocked the city to its very foundation, dust and shrapnel crashing into buildings and people alike as it chewed through the material it impacted.
Hiding amidst the chaos, a young girl sat. She had furled up her legs and brought her knees to her face as she waited out the storm.
Running would risk getting caught be the creatures that roamed the streets. Hiding only delayed the inevitable.
And yet, that was all the girl hoped for. Maybe, just maybe, if she stayed in one spot for long enough then someone would find her.
And if not...well, she was tired of running either way.
Her call was answered soon by the appearance of a winged beast. It hovered above the ground, it armored feathers not moving at all to support the creature's weight in the sky.
She gazed at the creature with melancholy resignation.
She couldn't escape. She was tired, both physically and emotionally and had no desire to outrun the Grim Reaper's pet.
As she drank in the last sight she would ever see, she closed her eyes, assuming it was for the last time.
The sudden sound of crashing metal woke her from her stupor.
Her eyes snapped open.
The back of a woman filled her vision. Hair as red as blood flowed down her back and she held a large greatsword.
Death's wings fell, bisected after a blow from the woman in front of her.
The woman turned to face the younger girl.
"Are you alright?" She asked in a soft voice.
The girl nodded her head in the affirmative.
"Good."
The woman looked around, soaking in every detail as before she spoke again.
"Do you want to come with us? Can't promise too much but I can definitely say that you'll be safer than most."
She outstretched her hand, reaching for the girl.
It looked so inviting. The lackluster promise was so very beautiful to the girl who had lost everything.
And so, she took the woman's hand.
It was warm.
She would never take this warmth for granted ever again.
Nor would anyone take it from her again.
Einar didn't sleep the night before, but not for the reasons one might think.
No, he didn't sleep last night because he was making Valentine's day preparations.
Why? He could hear being asked by every passersby that possessed telepathy.
Because Kevin and Mei were still dancing around one another, and he'll be a pink pancake in a chocolate factory before he lets them keep ignoring the difficult talks in life. If he couldn't do it, then neither could they!
At least neither of them was genocidal and wanted to wipe out humanity as we know it. That made things easier.
Now, you might be wondering why this year was the year that Einar finally decided to do something about his friends' love life, or lack thereof, especially with the threat of the 6th Herrscher breathing down their necks.
Well, Einar had actually been able to convince Mei to leave the accusation of possible methods to work against the new Herrscher to him.
And he actually had a few! But that was for another time, right now he had bigger fry to fish.
...
Was that how the saying went? It didn't matter.
So, on this day of love and every color even vaguely resembling red or pink, he decided to play matchmaker for his two favorite playth- friends. Yeah, friends is what he meant to say.
Which is why he was currently getting Mitsuha and Takeru's help.
"Um, we really don't know either of them well enough to give you any advice." Mitsuha said after having been given an explanation of the situation.
"Well, anything is better than the brooding pretty boy over there." Einar said, jabbing his finger towards the opposite direction of the table.
Wilhelm simply sat there, receiving numerous chocolate concoctions coated in bright crimson, carboard casings from a variety of different girls. A classic case of a man popular by looks alone and not by personality.
When asked why girls like him so much, he simply said, "Because their superficial idiots." And so, Einar vowed never to ask him for romantic advice ever. Period.
Hua would probably just stare at him blankly before walking away like she never heard him, so she was out.
And he wasn't going to step on the land mine that was his captain's love life. Himeko's anguish about not being able to find a man who stuck around after a few dates was a sore spot for her.
Well, that and she chased him around Fire Moth when she learned he was married. He still couldn't tell if it was because of jealousy or rage at not being invited to the wedding that she had no idea never really happened.
I should probably fix that at some point, the boy thought to himself. Then again, it was hard to have a marriage ceremony when your spouse wants to kill the guests, so that was out of the picture for the moment.
But back on track, Operation Red and Fluffy was in danger and he needed new recruits.
Although, his companions were still very confused.
"Why do you need our help anyway?" Mitsuha said. "Your married aren't you? I doubt your completely hopeless with romance if you have a wife."
Einar thought about his relationship with Kaguya and about using that same model for Kevin and Mei.
He shivered, "Yeah, no. Absolutely not."
He loved Kaguya, he really did, but he would be lying to call their relationship anything close to being a model for others.
He continued, however, not wanting to give his companions any time to respond, "So, knowing Kevin as I do, we need to help him with today's holiday."
Mitsuha gained a large smile, "Of course I'll help! Just leave everything to Mitsuha, the master of love!"
She pounded a fist against her chest in pride as she spoke.
Takeru raised a brow as he listened to his friend's words, "No one calls you that."
"But they should." The girl pouted out in response.
"Hey," Einar interjected. "back to the topic at hand please? We can talk about Mitsuha's self-proclaimed title later."
The boy ignored her words of protest as he brainstormed ideas.
"Do you think we could get Mei to run down the hall with a piece of bread in her mouth?" He asked.
The other two people at the table looked at him, dumfounded.
"Are you a genius?" Mitsuha spoke in awe.
"Kevin already raised her flag so that would be useless." Takeru pointed out, ignoring the girl's idiotic words.
The instigator of the conversation looked mildly shocked at Takeru's words, "I'm surprised you even know what a flag is."
The boy gave Einar a deadpan, "If that was taken out of context, I would look like an idiot."
"I'm still in favor of Operation Runnin' and Toastin'." Mitsuha said dejectedly. It would seem that she has already given a name to the plan.
Takeru sighed, deciding right then that he would never let these two buffoons come up with any plan ever again. He was amazed anime had taken them this far though...
"Why not just get Kevin to give Mei chocolate? That is what Valentine's Day is known for after all."
The other two glanced at each other before turning their gaze to the black haired boy.
"Aren't girls the ones who typically give out chocolates though?" Mitsuha asked.
Takeru was once again exasperated, "Does the only knowledge you two have of Valentine's Day or just romance in general come from anime!?"
"Yep."
"Of course."
The boy was given confirmation by his friends.
Mitsuha he could understand, he had known her long enough to be used to her...unique, brand of knowledge. But he had hoped that the guy who was several tens of millennia old would have more common sense.
Is this how people feel when their favorite celebrity doesn't live up to their image? The boy thought to himself. If someone had told him that a man who was older than human civilization existed, he would have imagined a wizened and bearded old man. Maybe with a staff, but definitely not someone like the boy in front of him
Einar spoke up after a moment, "Well, Kevin isn't too much of an idiot, so surely he remembered to buy chocolates. Right?" He finished rather doubtfully.
Mitsuha, shockingly, was the one who had any information on the topic, "He probably did, at least, he would if he wants to get back on Mei's good side."
The anomaly was confused, "Good side?"
The girl nodded, "Yeah, apparently Kevin was involved in the creation of new recruitment posters and one of them was Mei in cosplay."
Both Einar and Takeru were dumfounded.
The former held up a hand, "Wait, recruitment posters? Cosplay?"
Wasn't Fire Moth a somewhat secret organization? Although, after a few Herrschers had caused some property damage, he supposed it made sense that they went public. Why wasn't he informed.
Elsewhere, a well-dressed man sneezed.
The boy shook his head, that wasn't as important. Kevin has a mischievous side? He knew the guy as a very strait-laced, no nonsense kind of guy. Was he breaking character!? Should he be worried!? Well, more than usual.
He felt a sense of irony as those thoughts crossed his mind, but he couldn't tell why.
He shrugged, it probably wasn't too important.
Einar had a feeling that some people were talking to him, probably involving Mei in cosplay, but he saw a flash of navy hair out of the corner of his eye.
Now, normally Fu Hua would not have caught Einar's attention so easily. Now, if she was running towards him with a frying pan? That was another story entirely.
But back to the matter at hand. What had truly caught the boy's eye was the red box she clutched within her arms. And considering what today was, he had a pretty good guess as to what was contained within.
And Einar would grow a beard before he refused to tease Hua over...well, anything.
Actually, Einar suddenly thought. Can I even grow a beard?
Oh well, it want important right now.
Mitsuha noticed the growing ominous smile on Einar's face and followed his gaze.
"It would seem that Einar is obviously about to commit untold horrors to Hua." The girl commented to Takeru with a blank face.
"Why is that obvious!?"
And so, after biding his teammates farewell, Einar found himself next to the chocolate holding girl.
While the boy highly doubted she had any secret romance with another soldier, he would still hold this knowledge above her regardless.
So, here he was, poised behind the uncharacteristically nervous Hua.
It was so out of character for the girl, that even Einar was concerned.
Never let it be said that Einar didn't care for the wellbeing of his friends, contrary to popular belief.
"You okay there Hua?" The boy asked kindly.
The girl jumped a little, startled by the close proximity of the speaker.
"Ah! I'm just- Oh, it just you Einar." She began before realizing who it was that spoke to her.
The boy knitted his brows together in concern, "While I'm flattered that you don't seem to view me as a threat to your Valentine festivities, you seem rather skittish."
Hua had calmed down a bit since Einar appeared, she was still rather fidgety, nervous even.
Was giving chocolates to someone that big of a deal?
Einar couldn't exactly claim to be an expert of Valentine's day. He had, after all, spent a majority of his life in times where the holiday didn't even exist. Seriously, try finding records of people handing out chocolate to each other in Ancient Mesopotamia. It simply didn't exist.
The girl held her hands together over the red box as she answered her friend in a nervous voice.
"Do you...think the captain likes chocolate?"
Einar gave her a chuckle in response, "I don't see why she wouldn't. She might prefer a beer instead, but I'm glad you're not giving her that."
He shuddered, "She has enough of that already."
Hua gave a weak laugh, "I suppose your right about that."
"See? So, what's holding you back?"
"I don't know..." The girl started. "I guess it just feels like a trivial gift in comparison to what she's done for me."
And now we come to the crux of the problem. Einar had heard some mentions about Himeko having saved the girl in front of him from the devastation caused by the 2nd Herrscher, but he had no idea as to how much of that was true.
It's not as though he could just walk up to her and ask, 'Hey, did Himeko save your life after a Herrscher destroyed everything you held dear?' Even he wasn't that tactless.
The boy's lips curved into a small melancholy smile, "Take it from me, no matter what you give, it won't ever seem like it's enough. That's just human nature, we're afraid that we can't ever repay the ones who did so much for us."
"So, then what do we do?" Hua asked.
Einar grinned, "You buckle up and do the best you can. If you're too afraid to give them something you think will live up to their expectations, you'll never end up giving them anything at all."
The boy reminisced about people in his own life, the ones who helped him from dark places.
He thought of a boy who shared the name of his fellow squad member.
Of the woman who gave him the will to fight.
Of the child who chased an all too fleeting dream.
Of the small band of friends that wandered the barren wastes of the world.
He recalled the girl who started it all. The one who gave him the power to fight against the current of the world, even if she was the one who stood to guard its gates.
"So," The boy placed a hand on the girl's back. "go get 'em, Hua!"
And he pushed her foreword, causing the girl to stumble. But she kept her feet on the ground and continued walking, not looking back.
Geez, the boy thought to himself with a sigh and a shake of his head. It's just chocolate, how hard can it be.
He really hoped he didn't have to give more motivational speeches for Kevin or Mei, he had enough seriousness for one day.
He wasn't stalking anyone.
Stalking was the tailing of someone without their consent or knowledge.
But, since he was aiming to help them, he was fine.
At least, that's what Einar told himself so he could sleep at night.
A normal person might ask why the boy was dressed in a long trench coat, an English hat, and sunglasses.
An anime fan would say he was a jealous heroine.
Einar would say he was cosplaying Sherlock Holmes.
Regardless of who you asked, hiding behind a bush was definitely suspicious while staring at a young couple in the distance would definitely be a feat worthy of arrest.
And he was pretty sure the 'Fire Moth member' excuse, would only work so many times on the police. The fact that it wasn't a lie was probably the only reason he wasn't in a chase scene right now.
But, I digress.
Currently, Einar was tailing the object of his attention this Valentine's Day with remarkable success. And by success, he meant that the two have not noticed him. Somehow.
His hat obscured the white streak in his hair from view and his sunglasses prevented anyone from taking note of his eye colors. That wouldn't prevent anyone who knew him from recognizing him, which was why he was hiding, but it prevented compromising comments from the passersby.
"What is that man doing?"
"Is he a stalker?"
"Maybe he's a scout for an idol group?"
The boy ignored the strange comments, especially the last one. The fact that he could be mistaken for an idol scout in his current attire caused him to worry for the future of that particular industry.
He had more important thing to worry about, mainly a certain pair's choice of restaurant. After all, it was the perfect chance for Einar do something other than just use the wind to push the two into each other.
Maybe he could start a one man band in the place they chose? He was confident he could at least get a standing ovation for his shamisen skills.
His stal- observations were stopped by a sudden, familiar voice.
"Einar, what are you doing?" An angry voice said behind him.
The boy turned around and saw his captain standing there with her arms crossed and an annoyed look plastered across her face.
Einar greeted her, seemingly unperturbed by the disappointed glare he was receiving.
"Oh, hey Himeko! I'm trying to help Kevin and Mei, seeing as how the both of them are workaholics and hopeless with romance."
The woman developed a tick mark on her forehead, "Oh, and would you happen to know anything about the complaints I've received from local law enforcement about a Fire Moth member."
When facing the devil, you had to keep calm. And baring the significant paling of Einar's face and the nervous sweat that appeared, the boy was doing just that.
The demon smiled, "Why don't we go somewhere else for a moment, hmm? Your treat."
What could the boy do but agree. The Honkai might be scary, but women were even more so, especially if they were a Herrscher/the manifestation of the Honkai itself.
Actually, that might be why the Honkai is so scary in the first place. Einar thought.
But before he insulted anymore people in his thoughts, Himeko grabbed the disguised soldier and dragged him away. Where to, the boy would just have to find out.
He had a feeling it involved alcohol though.
Why is it, that the only times when I'm right, it's a bad thing?
While Einar could think of a lot of reasons, none of them were as pressing as the sight before him.
He and his captain were currently in a dimly lit room, sitting at a long counter rowed with stools. Or, in layman's terms, a bar.
Really he shouldn't be surprised, the only thing that worried him at the moment was whether he would be attacked if he teleported Himeko back to base. He didn't want to be accused of being a Herrscher, or a witch, again.
While he did debate about ridding around with a large brimmed hat on a flying broom, he ended up deciding against it. Too conspicuous, even for his tastes.
But that was beside the point.
The boy broke the silence of their conversation by asking, "Oh yeah, did you ever get any chocolate today Himeko?"
While the boy was curious to know if Hua actually took his advice, something he usually couldn't recommend, he was also preparing a quick escape in case the woman hadn't received any sugary treats today.
All in all, the risk of death was high.
Thankfully, the woman responded with a small smile and said, "Surprisingly yes, although I have a feeling you know who it was from since you asked in the first place."
Einar pretended to be incensed, "Darn, and here I thought I was being subtle, what tipped you off might I ask?"
"Maybe the fact that Hua mentioned you be name?" Himeko responded, amusement coloring her tone.
"Yep, that'd about do it."
The crimson maiden laughed before taking another gulp of alcohol. Einar decided to let her have her fun just this once, it was Valentine's Day after all. Which had nothing to do with alcohol but at least the hangover would remind her of that tomorrow.
The woman continued speaking, "Didn't think I was difficult enough to warrant that kind of a nervous reaction though."
"It's just difficult to talk to someone important to you," Einar began. "or at least express that importance. I mean, you are far easier to talk to than anyone else. If it was Kevin receiving anything from anyone other than Mei, he would most likely reject them in none too uncertain terms. He probably wouldn't spare the other's feelings much either."
Himeko stared at the counter for a moment, lost in thought, before speaking.
"On the subject of Kevin, how did the two of you even become friends? Kevin doesn't strike me as the type to initiate a conversation with you of all people." The woman asked with slight confusion.
She wouldn't exactly label the albino teen as the most outgoing of people for the most part, acted almost withdrawn for the most part. Granted, she knew that he was far less reserved back when he first joined, but she didn't imagine him as the type to befriend Einar so soon as he joined an international organization.
Einar laughed, "Funny story, that. I initially assumed that he an Mei were newlyweds when I first met them, so that might have something to do with our current friendship."
He continued, not giving his captain time to respond, "You can also chalk it up to my natural charisma that has been forged over thousands of years."
His captain gave a snort at that, "I would have called it 'clinical stupidity' but hey, that works to."
Himeko ignored her companion's words of indignant protest.
Several moments of silence passed by.
"Hey," The woman spoke up, her voice sounded concerned. "do you think we can beat the 6th?"
Einar's eyes widened in mild surprise. He knew alcohol loosened one's lips, but he half expected Himeko to be the exception to that rule.
"We wouldn't we? We've fought far stronger Herrschers than this one." The boy remained calm.
He had come up with some counters against the girl, he wasn't joking when he took over that duty from Mei. Granted, he is probably not as effective at it, but the point stands.
Himeko pursed her lips, "True, but those weren't immortal."
Einar laughed aloud at that, drawing odd looks from both his captain and other close by.
Immortal...people use that term far too loosely. The boy smiled bitterly to himself.
The boy spoke after he calmed down, "Take it from me, no one's immortal. She has extraordinarily high regeneration, I'll give you that, but there are still methods to take that away from her. Thus, she is not immortal."
Immortality was impossible to take away, and if it was given, then it can also be taken.
The only one that Einar would even think about granting that title was Kaguya, but even she could be killed. Although, even that was only if she allowed it.
"Oh yeah, then why are we just sitting here when that thing is out there destroying, who knows what!" The woman yelled out.
Luckily, the combination of the loud music, people talking, and Einar's control of the wind had rendered her voice inaudible. One aspect of his power that Einar had never though would be useful. Guess he was wrong.
"Because I'm not even sure they could work." The boy said with a dry tone.
He elaborated, "I could create chains that can most likely nullify her regeneration..."
He held up a hand to hand to stop Himeko as she opened her mouth.
"...but it uses a lot of stamina and even then I'm not sure if she could just regenerate like normal afterwards. We can't just burn her to atoms either, since she probably has her conscious stored in her core like the 1st. Which, in case you forgot, is indestructible."
"So, we can't do anything?" Einar had taken her glass for fear of her breaking it. He didn't want her to have glass shards stuck in her hand, he doubted that was fun.
The boy gave an apologetic smile, "Well, Mei can probably figure something out, and I'll help too when tomorrow rolls around."
The boy had no intention of getting in the way of Kevin and Mei's...date, get together? Either way, he still didn't want to interrupt them on one of the only times he had ever gotten them to take off of work.
Himeko had calmed down after a moment and began to speak more calmly, "Why do you care so much about Kevin and Mei's relationship? It's a bit worrying how much you seem to care."
"How is worrying for the wellbeing of the younger generation worrying?" Einar answered with faux anger at his captain's words.
"Just answer the question."
Einar sighed, it seems he wasn't getting out of this one.
"I suppose, I seem them as what I could have been if I had made different choices. What might have happened if things had gone in just another direction." He said with a melancholy voice and a reminiscent tone.
What if he never noticed that girl?
What if he was never decided to play hero?
What if he had made that promise?
What if? What if. What. If.
Those two words have driven him insane more times than he could count. It was only thanks to that person on a rainy day he learned not to dwell on what happened.
"Regrets are a part of life," She had said. "If you never had anything you did wrong then life would be rather boring. Live a life full of regret, but never make the same one twice. Think of regret as a lesson, they tell you what not to do ever again."
Hardly revolutionary advice, but it stuck with him for all this time.
"I just don't want to see my friends make the same mistakes I did. Nothing more or less than that. Completely selfish reasons." The boy finished with a chuckle.
And maybe that was true.
But before the crimson haired maiden could react to Einar's words, he got up from the stool he was seated on and brought his hands together with a clap.
"But enough about me. Today's Valentine's Day, let's go raid a chocolate factory!"
Himeko knew he was changing the topic, even in her slightly foggy mind she understood that.
Oh well, she thought with a mental shrug. Just this once.
We'll have time for me to pry out all of his secrets, eventually.
I'll make sure we do.
Author's notes: Valentine's Day still relevant anymore? No? Oh well, here you go anyway.
The only reason I wrote this was because it was a perfect time to expand a bit on some characters that haven't got any spotlight in a while. So, while it is a holiday chapter, it's still relevant to the story as seen by the opening scene. Easily the hardest chapter I've ever had to write though. I did not expect it to be so difficult. I also wanted to show that coming up with the solution to combating the regeneration of the 6th Herrscher is not an easy feat. Although, anyone who's read the 2nd War manga knows how this is going to end. Don't spoil it though, okay guys?
Not much else to say other than an observation. I realized I forgot to mention, Einar, the 5th, and the 6th's Herrscher wings. Now, this really isn't a big deal at all, but it is worth a mention. We know that a Herrscher's wings are the physical manifestation of their power, but only another Herrscher can touch them without dying. In the manga, Kiana touches them, but she has the Core of Serenity, so she is technically a Herrscher. At the very least, she has the Honkai resistance of one. Even Einar might not be able to touch them with no repercussions.
My point is that I might go back and add them in, but they won't change the story in any way, shape, or form if I do.
Well, that's all folks! Thanks for reading and I'm sorry this came out so late!
Sayonara,
The Slow White Guy