Honkai: You're telling me this difficulty is from Honkai Impact 3?!

Yun Feng continued crawling, but Chen Shicheng froze, hesitating for two full seconds before following. A lingering fear etched his face, his voice hesitant.

"You…you were joking, right?" he asked, his voice trembling slightly.

Yun Feng didn't answer immediately, and Chen Shicheng breathed a sigh of relief.

"Phew…knew it…you…"

"Totally serious~" Yun Feng's voice finally floated back, laced with amusement.

"Yun Feng! I thought those rumors were just your competitors trying to sabotage you! I didn't think you, of all people, would…would…!"

Chen Shicheng scrambled back, putting distance between them, glaring at Yun Feng, indignation etched on his face. He couldn't even bring himself to say it! The very thought was preposterous!

In short: Yun Feng, you bastard!

"Scared?" Yun Feng asked, turning back, a mischievous grin spreading across his face—a rare sight. "So, you are afraid of something after all."

"Bah! The sight of you makes me sick!" Chen Shicheng spat, but he resumed crawling, quickly catching up. "Ever since I noticed you scoring higher than me in school!"

They were halfway there. After a moment of silence, Chen Shicheng spoke.

"What was the point?"

"Because…you were the first one to challenge me to a fight," Yun Feng replied after a moment of thought, a smile playing on his lips.

Chen Shicheng's eyes widened. "Yun Feng…you…okay, to each their own…I'll change…I'll change…"

Yun Feng's lips twitched. He sighed. "It's not like that…"

"I understand, I understand…" Chen Shicheng nodded vigorously. Yun Feng glanced back. Chen Shicheng's face clearly read, "Confess your crimes, sir."

"Ugh…" Yun Feng sighed. "Forget it…" He knew Chen Shicheng was teasing him, but he was too tired to argue.

His goal achieved, Chen Shicheng grinned, then, remembering the outcome of that first "fight," his smile faltered.

"By the way, you don't look that strong, but you can fight. How?"

"I'm a registered disciple of the Taixu dojo," Yun Feng said quietly.

Chen Shicheng: "Huh?"

He sucked in a breath, then stroked his chin. "So that's why you insisted on checking the Taixu dojo for survivors…"

No…that's not why… Yun Feng's eye twitched again, but he simply sighed. Their conversation devolved into increasingly absurd banter, the pointless chatter helping them endure the remaining distance.

"Finally!" Chen Shicheng stretched, rubbing his sore thighs. They'd crawled the entire way, and his legs were screaming in protest.

"Never doing that again," he declared.

"Weren't you just saying you wanted to see me suffer?" Yun Feng chuckled, clapping Chen Shicheng on the shoulder. Chen Shicheng swatted his hand away.

"Who are you? Do I know you?" he retorted, rolling his eyes.

Yun Feng just grinned, putting his arm around Chen Shicheng's shoulders, giving him a playful shake. "Alright, alright, I'll stop teasing you."

Chen Shicheng didn't reply, nor did he push Yun Feng away. He simply turned his head.

This was where they parted ways. One to activate the speakers, the other to reach the control room and create the distraction. They both knew this was their final goodbye.

Yun Feng gave Chen Shicheng one last pat on the shoulder, then stepped back, smiling.

As he prepared to descend from the beam, Chen Shicheng spoke.

"…Take care."

It was an absurdly impractical farewell. Yun Feng paused, then turned back, smiling.

"You too."

The simplest of declarations, the shortest of goodbyes.

Yun Feng jumped down, pressing himself against the wall, quickly approaching the edge of the stage. A giant speaker stood before him. A single button press was all it took to activate it. A simple action, anyone could do it.

But the price was your life. It was the kind of life-or-death button you only saw in ridiculous hypothetical scenarios.

Carefully avoiding the zombified stagehands, he reached the speaker, raising his hand. Without hesitation, he pressed the button.

Click

The only sound was a faint click, audible only to him. But that small action unleashed a deafening roar.

Bwwwwwwooooom—

On the train, Theresa and Himeko were listening to the few survivors who had made it, when a distant, droning sound interrupted them. Everyone looked up, towards the city center.

Bwwwwwwooooom—

The zombies chasing the three college students abruptly stopped, frozen in place, some stumbling from the sudden halt, remaining on the ground.

"What was that?" one student gasped, collapsing.

"Who cares?" another said, dropping to his knees, his breath coming in ragged gasps.

"At least we're alive," the third mumbled, lying flat on the ground.

Bwwwwwwooooom—

The scratching at the door ceased. Inside, the middle-aged couple walked to the window, looking towards the direction they had fled.

"My goodness…"

Bwwwwwwooooom—

The swarming horde froze. Otto slammed his foot on the accelerator, and the car lurched forward.

Bwwwwwwooooom—

The resonating sound washed over Shanghai City. The waves stilled, the zombies quieted, the survivors paused. All eyes turned towards the city center, towards the arena that should have been ablaze with lights.

Yun Feng covered his ears.

The sound heralded the dawn.

And the deaths of a few.