Honkai Impact 3rd - The Interference

Chapter 73 - Star Against Moon

"Bronya..."

Wan desperately searches for any trace of Bronya, only to realize she has vanished from his grasp. Tears stream down his face as he kneels on the ground, overcome with emotion.

Before him, Noah stands in silence, knowing it wasn't Bronya he intended to harm, but her interference led to her demise. If only she had stayed out of it, she might still be alive.

"Once again," Noah whispers to himself, "blinded by misguided loyalty."

The air was heavy with the sound of Wan's cries for a few moments, echoing in the silence. Noah remained motionless, his expression unreadable, as if grappling with his own inner turmoil.

Then, abruptly, Wan's cries ceased, leaving behind a haunting stillness. Noah's gaze softened slightly, a flicker of remorse crossing his features under his mask.

Clista, a silent observer to the unfolding tragedy, could only watch from the sidelines as Wan remained knelt on the ground, his silence speaking volumes. Every muscle in his body seemed tense, his gaze fixed on some distant point, lost in his own thoughts.

She felt a pang of empathy for Wan, recognizing the depth of his pain and turmoil.

With a heavy heart, Clista remained rooted in place, grappling with the weight of the uncertain path ahead for her.

"Wan... I'm..." She whispered to herself, the weight of guilt settling heavily in her heart. However, before she could utter another word, she chose to clamp her lips shut, sealing away the torrent of emotions threatening to spill out.

As the silence stretched on, it was shattered by the sound of words escaping Wan's lips, each syllable laden with quiet intensity. "You had your fun yet...?" he muttered, causing Noah to turn his gaze towards him.

Raising his head slowly to meet the gaze of the masked man, the tears that had once stained his face were now absent, replaced by an unsettling mask of emotionlessness. "Do you?" he repeated, his voice devoid of emotion, yet carrying an underlying weight that hung heavily in the air.

Noah's gaze faltered for a moment, a flicker of surprised crossing his features before he composed himself, his expression hardening once more.

"Fun?" he echoed, his voice tinged with a bitter edge. "This was never about fun."

"It doesn't matter, does it..." Wan's voice trembled as he struggled to rise to his feet, his gaze never wavering from Noah's. With deliberate slowness, he brushed his hair away from his face, a gesture weighted with the burden of his anguish.

The weight of loss bore down on him, crushing his spirit with unbearable force.

His grandfather lay in critical condition, his mother figure torn away, his mentor gone, his first friend vanished, his pillar of hope shattered.

And now,

Kanae and Bronya...

"The demise of Kanae and Bronya was never intended, Hoshino Wan," Noah declared, his tone tinged with a hint of sincerity. "Their involvement in matters beyond their comprehension sealed their fate."

Wan was incredulous, longing to tear his own ears from his head to escape the sound of the man's voice in front of him forever. In all his years, never had he developed such an overwhelming hatred towards another being.

Except now.

As Wan took a deep breath, the atmosphere crackled with tension, causing the very ground around him to tremble and quake. Noah hastily retreated, his Remnant-7X mech looming protectively beside him.