Chapter 58: I Want to Defeat the Honkai

"I wonder if they'll keep it close. Even if it's not carried on their person, as long as it's within a five-meter radius, it should have the effect of eradicating cancer cells." Xin Yu hadn't wanted to give it in such a manner, but he considered that no matter what kind of personal item he gave, there was always a chance it might be discarded. Ultimately, he could only resort to this charlatan-like method to deepen their impression, hoping they would carry the Omamori for as long as possible. Of course, if it still didn't succeed in the end, one could only say it was fate. He would just have to wait until he could contact Raiden Mei later and find a way to return to the period just before her mother's impending death to save her personally. Xin Yu continued following the inexplicable thread of fate. Eventually, he arrived near an orphanage. He saw an infant in swaddling clothes abandoned at the orphanage entrance. The moment he saw the baby, Xin Yu knew it was his future apprentice, Nao Ohno. Though, he probably didn't have that name yet. The orphanage door opened, and a white-haired old man saw the infant in swaddling clothes. He glanced around but found no one who looked like the baby's parents. Finally, with a helpless sigh, he picked up the infant from the ground. Xin Yu watched the old man carry the baby into the orphanage. He stood motionless for a moment, then turned and left again. Several hours later, Xin Yu returned carrying a briefcase and knocked on the orphanage door. The same old man opened the door confusedly and saw Xin Yu standing outside. "Old sir, this briefcase contains several checks totaling around one billion yen. This is my donation to this orphanage. My only condition is that you relocate away from Longkong City." The old man stared at the youth in astonishment, watching him casually hand over the briefcase worth one billion. Disbelievingly, the old man opened the briefcase, intending to see if this was just some bored youth playing a prank on an old man. However, upon seeing the checks inside and the bank's embossed seals on them, the old man was even more stunned – they were actually real! After calming down for a moment, the old man recovered from his shock. He looked at the youth before him and, after some calm deliberation, asked, "Sir, are you planning to build something on this land?" The old man believed no one would donate without reason, especially such a huge sum. It was obvious this wealthy young master had taken a fancy to this plot of land but felt awkward targeting an orphanage. So, he had generously waved his hand and produced 1 billion yen, ostensibly as a donation, but actually hoping they would move out quickly. Yet, this amount was truly excessive. It was worth far, far more than the land itself. Perhaps this young master was genuinely kind-hearted and had intentionally given much more. "May I ask for your name? I will ensure this kindness is remembered and passed down." "...No need. Just handle the relocation promptly. There's no need to remember names or anything. Just remember that today was a wonderful day." Xin Yu watched a thread, visible only to him, completely snap and turn to ash. This signified that the connection of fate between him and his apprentice had utterly vanished. It meant that the apprentice he had once known, the one he had spent time with, had completely and utterly disappeared. The one still alive was merely similar, yet already a completely different person. This is good too. No, perhaps it's better this way. Apprentice, the mistakes you made in the past, Master has corrected them for you. The life where you couldn't eat your fill or wear warm clothes as a child, Master has changed that too. From now on, you can study like other normal children, and grow up healthy and happy like them. Although you might not achieve great things, and you might not be guaranteed to never become a delinquent again, at least compared to the past, you now have choices. That old man is a good person, with little impurity in his heart. He will definitely take good care of you all. You can go to school, you can study, maybe find a nice girlfriend, grow up, get married, have your own family, your own children. Even if you might struggle daily to make ends live, at least you'll have a home to return to. This is the only thing Master can do for you. Goodbye, Nao. Back inside the courtyard, the old man suddenly heard an infant's cry. He hurriedly carried the briefcase into a bedroom and saw the baby he had just picked up lying in the crib. He quickly put the briefcase aside, gently picked up the child, and softly patted its back. The old man watched the child cry heartbrokenly. He assumed the awakened baby, perhaps dimly sensing the reality of being abandoned upon not seeing its parents nearby, had started crying uncontrollably. If you didn't intend to have the child, why bring it into the world only to add to its suffering? The child continued to cry, likely weeping for the person who had truly left him behind forever. ... Xin Yu returned to the ruins of his home. He crouched on the ground and started vomiting. Even though his stomach was empty, he kept dry-heaving. This was the first time time travel had caused such a severe reaction. He vomited continuously until he spat out a mouthful of liquid mixed with purple and gray. Only then did Xin Yu stop. Completely drained, he slumped to the ground. Looking at the number symbolizing his lifespan, he saw it had decreased by a full quarter. Xin Yu had a faint premonition, an understanding that the lifespan deduction was because he had rewritten the fate of someone connected to him. It seemed that whenever he himself was involved, the cost of rewriting fate became terrifyingly immense. Thankfully, this time he had started rewriting from the distant past. If he had started rewriting from a point closer to his own presence in time, the deducted lifespan would likely have been even greater. The closer the time point was to his own existence, the higher the cost would be, even for rewriting minor events, far exceeding the price of altering a stranger's fate. Xin Yu wiped his mouth and simultaneously obliterated the pool of blood on the ground to prevent any contamination. He staggered to his feet, looking at the ruins before him, somewhat lost in thought. He wondered: if he rewrote Mobius's fate, ensuring her mother wouldn't die because of her and her father wouldn't fall ill, thereby giving her a complete, happy childhood with both parents – would that be a good thing? If he similarly rewrote the fate of Kiana's parents, allowing Kiana to also have a perfect, happy childhood – would that also be a good thing? And the cost for all of this would be his own life. Is it worth it? Xin Yu asked himself in a low voice. Then, he lifted his head and looked at the dead city. "...I want to save more people. It shouldn't only be those I know who get saved. There are so many others who originally deserved a good life... They should have had better futures, happier lives. They shouldn't have died to the Honkai." Xin Yu's resolve to defeat the Honkai deepened.