Honkai Impact 3rd - The Interference

Chapter 76 - Ghost In Machine

"Hugo-san?" Hoshino Wan's voice trembled with disbelief as he gazed at the older man before him, tears threatening to spill from his eyes. He blinked furiously, desperately wishing for the scene before him to dissolve into a cruel illusion.

Noah was Hugo,

Hugo was Noah.

Their eyes met, a silent understanding passing between them before Wan's heart shattered into a million pieces. With a heavy sigh, he tenderly cradled the lifeless body of Clista in his arms, his fingers tracing her features lovingly. Gently placing her down, he pressed a lingering kiss to her forehead, his voice choked with sorrow as he whispered, "I'm sorry, Clista."

Wan rose to his feet, his eyes locked with Hugo's in a silent battle of emotions. Neither of them dared to break the intense connection as Wan found the strength to voice the question weighing heavily on his heart.

"Why?" His voice quivered with a mix of confusion, pain, and betrayal, echoing the depths of his soul.

Hugo's gaze remained unwavering, filled with a complex mix of emotions as he absorbed Wan's pain and weariness. After a lingering moment of silence, he finally spoke, his voice carrying a weight of regret and resignation.

"It's ultimately your fault that you trust people way too easily." The words hung heavily in the air, each syllable laced with a bitter truth that cut through the silence like a knife.

Wan's tired grunt echoed the exhaustion weighing down his spirit, his hand clutching his head as if trying to contain the flood of emotions threatening to overwhelm him. With a heavy breath, he fought to rein in his rising anger, his gaze never wavering from Hugo's.

"So about all those things you told me... it was all a lie...?" His voice trembled with a mixture of hurt and disbelief, his heart aching at the possibility of shattered truths and broken promises.

Hugo's response came with a measured tone, acknowledging the complexity of their shared history.

"There are some lies and there are some truths in what I've said. For example, I wasn't lying when I said I never abandoned Clista. I've always been with her since she was a child, and that is a fact." His words held a somber honesty, revealing glimpses of the tangled web of reality beneath the surface.

Wan's glare intensified, his breaths growing heavier with each passing moment as anger threatened to consume him whole. His gaze shifted to the lifeless form of Clista, his mind racing with thoughts of her and the betrayal he had just witnessed. Despite his anger, Wan couldn't shake the feeling that Clista's actions were not entirely her own.

"How long have you been using Clista for your own gain?" His voice was laced with accusation, each word dripping with the weight of betrayal and deception.

Hugo's smile held a hint of admiration for Wan's perceptiveness as he acknowledged the accusation. He then proceeded to offer an explanation, his tone matter-of-fact.

"I'm only using Clista as a means to generate income," he admitted, gesturing towards the imposing mech, Remnant-7X, behind him. "How else would I acquire the resources to build it?" His words carried a hint of justification, as if trying to rationalize his actions in the face of Wan's scrutiny.

Wan's fists clenched tighter, his body pulsating with a surge of energy that threatened to overwhelm him. The purple veins snaking across his skin bore witness to the mounting pressure building within him, a physical manifestation of his pent-up rage.

"So Clista's career... all those amazing things she did... everything that people saw... was only because you forced her into it... was only because she had no other choice?!" His voice cracked with emotion, the weight of betrayal and injustice heavy in his words as he confronted Hugo with the harsh truth.