AQK 241-250 (Patreon)

Chapter 241: I'm Just an Ordinary Soldier

"Pfft... I never expected the Second Herrscher from another world... to be such a shut-in!"

Tesla burst out laughing after watching the video. Einstein, standing beside her, seized the opportunity to add insult to injury:

"And a member of the Magical Girl Teriri fan club!"

"That goes without saying!!"

Theresa yelled, her face flushed red while secretly glancing at Cecilia's reaction.

"Magical Girl... Teriri? Pretty cute."

Cecilia, having already realized that the so-called Magical Girl Teriri was Theresa, covered her mouth with a smile.

"Is... is that so!?!"

Theresa immediately perked up but still somewhat doubted whether it was her imagination.

Cecilia smiled, then nodded to herself as she looked Theresa up and down before saying with a smile:

"Yes... I quite like it. Hmm, wear it for me sometime~"

"...Um... um..."

For a moment, Theresa wanted to agree, but then she felt a little embarrassed.

But this was Cecilia's request...

"Please take me with you!"

With her keen sense of smell, excellent hearing, and status as Theresa's devoted fan, Rita excitedly raised her hand.

Otto stared expressionlessly at his traitorous subordinate.

Hmm... Theresa's Magical Girl Teriri outfit... Grandpa really wants to see it too~

"Sirin-chan from that world is also very cute, but she's a bit too engrossed in games."

Because of her experience in the Second Eruption, Cecilia actually considered Sirin her daughter.

Aside from Theresa, she still had considerable affection for the adorably useless Sirin, though she also had some unavoidable reservations.

Kiana's Internal Sealed Space..

The Herrscher of the Void stood there with her arms crossed, looking annoyed. A smirk appeared on her face before she turned her head away.

Cute my foot!

Her other self was so pathetic, like a complete gamer, and even a member of the Magical Girl Teriri fan club!

She absolutely refused to accept that version of herself!

And then there's Bella…

The Herrscher of the Void's golden eyes narrowed slightly.

...Never mind.

After all, it's Bella…

While her past self was somewhat embarrassing,

she... strangely, felt a pang of envy...

Meanwhile, outside, the Q&A Space released a new question:

Fourth Question:

【4. After entering the Elysian Realm, the fifth Flamechaser Raiden Mei encountered was ____】

This time, it was also a fill-in-the-blank question.

"The Elysian Realm?! She went to that godforsaken place too?!"

Raven was surprised upon seeing the question, but then she slapped her forehead.

"Oh, I forgot... she also joins World Serpent. Even though she's... a Herrscher, that step is still necessary."

Jackal, standing nearby, chuckled, quite pleased.

"Hmph... a Herrscher going to the Elysian Realm... hmph hmph hmph hmph, that's interesting."

The Elysian Realm was filled with memories of the Previous Era MANTIS. A Herrscher, an envoy of Honkai, entering that place... the treatment would be off the charts.

That person must really like such a rare experimental subject.

"Tch."

Tesla, who didn't get along with Jackal, looked annoyed before regaining her composure.

"Elysian Realm... I remember it appearing in a previous title, right?"

"That pink-haired girl... is her name Miss Pink Elf?"

Welt, somewhat helplessly, corrected her:

"It's Elysia, one of the Thirteen Flamechasers from the Previous Era."

The existence of the Elysian Realm didn't need further explanation. Fu Hua had already briefly mentioned it to them.

Schicksal, Anti-Entropy, and even St. Freya knew the general outline, while World Serpent had turned it into a training ground for its agents, so there was no need to elaborate.

"Since Ms. Elysia is one of the Thirteen Flamechasers, that means there are at least thirteen Flamechasers within the Elysian Realm, right?"

Bronya looked at Fu Hua and asked.

"Class Monitor, do you know anything about this?"

Fu Hua had previously mentioned that she had a fairly good understanding of the Elysian Realm, so asking her at this time was quite appropriate.

Kevin, Su, or even someone from World Serpent would also work, but since they were more familiar with Fu Hua, they naturally asked her.

However, Fu Hua sighed and said seriously.

"Elysia, I, Kevin, and Su are all among the Thirteen Flamechasers."

"But if you're asking who Mei will meet... I'm sorry, but the Elysian Realm's mechanism is very special. Different people enter and are received by different people. They're basically assigned according to compatibility, so it's not fixed."

She answered apologetically.

"...Random?! Then who knows who Mei will meet as the fifth Flamechaser after entering that place?"

Kiana's eyes widened, somewhat speechless.

There were thirteen people in total. Asking her to identify the fifth Flamechaser Mei would meet from among them...

They didn't even know the identities of the first five!

Einstein nodded slightly. After a moment's thought, she calmly spoke.

"It is indeed somewhat difficult, but it's not entirely hopeless. At least we can try to eliminate the Flamechasers who would have poor compatibility with Mei."

"Compatibility?!... Isn't that place called the Elysian Realm the gathering place of the Previous Era's Flamechasers...? Do you think Mei, as a Herrscher, is compatible with those MANTIS who fought Honkai their whole lives..."

Himiko didn't finish her sentence, but Einstein had to agree, a forced smile playing on her lips.

Indeed,

Herrschers and MANTIS were mortal enemies.

As for compatibility, the fact that Mei wasn't completely obliterated by the Flamechasers upon entering was entirely due to her status as a World Serpent executive.

Seeing this, Fu Hua couldn't help but offer a few words of comfort.

"It's not that bad. At least... Mei was initially greeted by Elysia, and Elysia's personality is quite unique. According to the design... she's actually one of those Flamechasers whose compatibility is difficult to predict."

She paused, resting her chin on her hand.

"Besides, there are some very individualistic Flamechasers. Judging by personality alone, I think Sakura, Eden, and I were the type who were relatively easy to encounter."

"If we consider appearance... based on Kevin's attitude toward Mei in that previous video, Kevin in the Elysian Realm should also be able to meet her."

"Su is also the more approachable type."

As she said this, everyone's attention inevitably turned to Kevin and Su.

Leaving aside Kevin's icy demeanor, Mei's face, which looked exactly like Dr. Mei's, was enough to sway him.

As for Su...

...He was easy to talk to.

He did seem quite kind.

But this guy, who kept his eyes closed like a wandering soul, would have been easy to mistake for someone who was not only blind but also deaf if he hadn't spoken earlier.

"So who would be the worst match?"

Rita asked curiously.

Fu Hua thought for a moment, giving a vague answer. Then a dangerous figure suddenly flashed through her mind, and she murmured.

"...Probably Kalpas, maybe... that person's compatibility isn't very good... but considering that troublesome personality..."

"Who is that person?"

Fu Hua's cryptic answer only fueled everyone's curiosity.

Fu Hua, however, showed little interest in answering and waved her hand dismissively.

"Anyway, they're all troublesome people. You'll probably see them later... you'll understand when you do."

Her expression was somewhat enigmatic.

But she ultimately prioritized business and cleared her throat twice.

"Let's get back to the main point. Simply discussing compatibility... aside from Elysia, who has already appeared, the others I mentioned seem to have good compatibility with Mei."

"Kevin, Eden, Su, Sakura... and you, Class Monitor? Is it a five-way selection?"

Wendy counted on her fingers one by one, then pointed at Fu Hua with a slight headache.

Bronya lightly tapped Wendy's forehead with a chop and said irritably,

"It's better than choosing one out of twelve, right?"

She then looked at Mei and said softly.

"...Anyway, the choice is up to Mei-neechan. Mei-neechan, choose one of these five answers."

There was no point in arguing about this one.

"...Hmm, then... Class Monitor. I'll go with that."

Mei rested her chin on her hand, thought for a moment, and finally fixed her gaze on Fu Hua.

There wasn't much to consider. Of all the answers, Fu Hua was the one she knew best and had spent the most time with.

Since Fu Hua was on the list, she'd choose her.

There wasn't much to think about with this unexpected five-choice question.

"The correct answer is... Hua."

Mei initially wanted to answer Fu Hua as usual, but she suddenly remembered that the Elysian Realm was filled with the Flamechasers' memories.

To be on the safe side, she changed her answer to Fu Hua's former name.

【Correct answer!】

The answer was revealed instantly.

"It really is Class Monitor."

Kiana was somewhat surprised.

Not only was she surprised, but even Fu Hua herself was.

It was a lucky guess.

She had chosen correctly with one-in-five odds.

Amid that unexpected feeling, the image unfolded.

In the image, the first thing that came into view was Hua, dressed in a black combat suit and looking quite ordinary and unremarkable.

Across from her stood Mei in her Herrscher of Thunder form.

Hua spoke to Mei with a serious and solemn expression.

"Nice to meet you, successor. My name is Hua, the mark of [Vicissitude]... I will help you familiarize yourself with it."

However, Hua's appearance was clearly a surprise to Mei in the image.

Looking at the familiar face, she couldn't help but utter the title she had used countless times before.

"...Class Monitor!?"

"Hmm?"

This unfamiliar yet abrupt title slightly confused Hua. Seeing her reaction, Mei fell silent for a moment before sighing.

"It's nothing. I should have known."

Looking at that once-familiar figure, Mei asked calmly, though her voice carried a complex mix of emotions.

"Thank you for your help. We... we'll meet again, right?"

Hua didn't give a definite answer. She merely replied casually.

"At least you have to hold on until that moment. This place is far more dangerous than you imagine. You can't let your guard down."

This brief exchange between the two was witnessed by everyone.

"Oh... so that's what Class Monitor looked like in the previous era. She doesn't look much different from now."

Wendy rested her chin on her hand, carefully studying Hua in the image while comparing her with Fu Hua.

Aside from the aura, whether it was her appearance or physique...

Ahem.

Noticing the sharp gaze, Wendy coughed twice and guiltily shifted her eyes away from Fu Hua's 'tablet'.

"Although there are some differences, Class Monitor was so cool back then!"

Seele crossed her arms, her eyes sparkling.

If Fu Hua in her blue training uniform gave off the feeling of a senior, then the one in the video, clad in combat gear, exuded the aura of a seasoned warrior.

Otto couldn't help but glance at Hua in the video, comparing her with Fu Hua, admiration evident on his face.

The video continued, but the scene changed slightly.

"Class Monitor..."

Seeing Hua again, Mei instinctively uttered the familiar title before realizing her mistake, a hint of apology in her voice.

"No, sorry. I'm just used to it."

Hua's expression remained unchanged as she replied nonchalantly.

"It's nothing. If it helps you, you can think of me as someone else."

But that answer brought a complicated expression to Mei's face.

"Another person..."

"Hua, if I tell you some things, can they become part of your memories?"

She wanted to tell the Hua before her about the Fu Hua she knew, about her interactions with them, but Hua shook her head.

"Perhaps others here can, but I can't."

"I periodically rewind my memories to a certain point in time, and what you tell me will only be retained until then."

This answer made Mei frown, and she couldn't help but ask.

"Why do you do this?"

Hua didn't hide anything. She explained calmly and in detail.

"This is a decision made by the real 'Hua' to ensure that I am still 'me.'"

"Perhaps due to the influence of the Meta-Morph factor, my memories won't fade away like those of ordinary people until they are completely forgotten."

"They'll keep piling up in my mind... I can't really say what kind of impact or changes they'll have on me."

She paused before continuing.

"So... I have to resort to other means to forget certain things to ensure I'm still fulfilling my predetermined mission. For a memory replica, this is necessary."

"If one day I suddenly forget who you are... then I can only apologize in advance."

She spoke with a hint of apology.

After hearing these answers, Mei realized that Hua's situation wasn't what she had imagined. Biting her lip, she spoke gloomily.

"...I understand."

"For you, this might indeed be the better choice."

The scene shifted again.

"Hua, I want to ask you a question."

Mei faced Hua, her voice serious and hesitant.

"As far as I know, the lifespan of a MANTIS far exceeds that of an ordinary person. If you had a choice..."

After a moment's hesitation, she continued:

"Would you be willing to protect humanity in the New Era for thousands of years until they possess the ability to protect themselves?"

The question stunned Hua, who had been about to answer.

"..."

She remained silent for a long time before looking intently at Mei.

"Miss Mei, I am just an ordinary soldier."

"And what you're talking about... I'm sorry, but just imagining it, I can't even begin to grasp its weight."

Hua said this with considerable regret.

"I'm sorry. I'd like to do that, but I can't."

"To walk alone for such a long time... among us, perhaps only Kevin could do it."

She mentioned Kevin, but upon hearing this answer, Mei fell silent, her expression dazed.

"..."

Looking at Hua once more, at that familiar face, she thought to herself:

(No, you could too.)

(You already did it. You did it far better than Kevin... Class Monitor.)

---

Chapter 242: Mei's Future

"Bah! What do you mean by 'far inferior'... How could a mediocre person comprehend the greatness of the Lord?!"

Jackal showed considerable disdain for Mei's inner thoughts in the video.

Of course, because another Flame-Chaser was involved, out of respect for these heroes of the Previous Era, she was careful with her words, merely expressing contempt for Mei's opinion.

However, Kevin had no objection, readily admitting.

"I am indeed inferior to Fu Hua."

Just discussing achievements in this era, Fu Hua, who had guarded Shenzhou for thousands of years and protected the region from Honkai invasions, was definitely far more accomplished than him, who had been trapped in the Sea of Quanta.

Kevin wasn't the type to be overly competitive.

Perhaps he was in the past, but not anymore.

He had no interest in discussing who was inferior to whom.

"..."

Jackal froze.

There was no need to argue with the other side; her own boss had already admitted defeat.

What was the point of bragging?

Fu Hua herself didn't care about any of that.

She simply looked calmly at her past self from tens of thousands of years ago in the image.

"Can't do it…?"

Fu Hua shook her head slightly, a bitter smile appearing on her face.

"Actually, thinking about it carefully, getting to where I am today… even I find it a bit unbelievable."

Just like the other her in the image, she had initially only thought of herself as an ordinary MANTIS.

Who knew when she might perish in the struggle against Honkai?

To protect a place for thousands of years was almost too magical to believe.

Yet… she had done it.

She raised her fingertips and stroked the Book of Fuxi on her shoulder. This sudden movement startled the Book of Fuxi, causing her to tilt her head in confusion.

Fu Hua's lips slowly curved into a smile.

With her unintentional mental fluctuations, the newly sprouted feather she had obtained from the previous Q&A session, which she had always carried with her, underwent a new change.

Of course, perhaps because the change was so subtle, Fu Hua didn't notice it.

Otto gently stroked his chin, a hint of nostalgia in his eyes.

He, too, was a witness to Fu Hua's great feat, perhaps even a participant.

Looking back five hundred years, he and the Saintess Kallen…

Ahem.

Anyway, the fifth question is here:

【5. After the Honkai era, where Honkai Erupted quite often, ended, Welt Yang Joyce disappeared. Where did Welt disappear to?】

【A. Saint Fontaine】

【B. Berlin】

【C. Teyvat】

【D. ■■■】

After seeing this question, everyone had different thoughts.

"After the Honkai era ended… this Honkai era… could it mean after the victory over Honkai?!"

Rita rested her chin on her hand while looking at the question and couldn't help but speculate.

Regional outbreaks of Honkai are called Honkai Outbreaks, while large-scale Honkai events involving Herrschers, such as the one in Berlin and the one in Siberia, are called Honkai Eruption.

If the so-called Honkai era refers to this, then the end of the Honkai era likely means after defeating all the Herrschers.

Others naturally wouldn't overlook this.

"...No way?!"

Durandal was somewhat doubtful.

While defeating Honkai was something humanity longed for...

As a battle-hardened Valkyrie, Durandal knew from her understanding of Honkai that accomplishing such a feat would be extraordinarily difficult.

Su opened his eyes, revealing a vast, star-like depth.

He stared at the question, his brow furrowed, as unsettled as Kevin beside him.

This was not surprising.

Whether it was Project VALUKA, carried out by Su; Project Stigma, led by Kevin; Project EMBER, assisted by Fu Hua; or the still-unknown Ark Project, their ultimate goal was to defeat Honkai, or at least find a way for humanity to survive under its threat.

Now that they had detected signs of humanity defeating Honkai, it was impossible for them not to take it seriously.

"Can we really defeat Honkai?"

Theresa was equally concerned.

Or rather, among everyone present, aside from those two dangerous individuals, probably no one was unwilling to defeat Honkai.

In this regard, whether it was World Serpent or Anti-Entropy, Schicksal or St. Freya, their stance was the same.

"But why is Yang missing?"

Joyce was also concerned about humanity's future after defeating Honkai, but he was equally concerned about Welt's disappearance mentioned in the question.

"Who knows? Our leader has a history of disappearing. Maybe he's just bored and went off to teach at some backwater school."

Tesla scoffed at the question, giving Welt a meaningful glare.

Welt smiled awkwardly. He knew Tesla was referring to his disappearance a few years ago, which had ended with him teaching at St. Freya Academy.

In fact, that was indeed his fault.

If he hadn't left a note beforehand, Einstein and Tesla might have seriously suspected that their leader had been kidnapped by some stray dog after being gone for so long.

Einstein stepped in to smooth things over, calmly stating:

"Anyway, let's answer the Q&A first… Once the footage is released, we can analyze the situation from the video."

"That being said, how can we figure out where Mr. Welt disappeared?"

Wendy's question hit the nail on the head.

Welt's disappearance was already a mystery.

With such a simple question that revealed almost nothing, figuring out which city he disappeared in was truly difficult.

That was a real challenge.

"It's not that difficult. Judging from the answers... we can probably rule out the place called Teyvat, since there shouldn't be a place with that name on this planet, right?"

Mei spoke up, calmly offering her analysis and immediately eliminating one option.

"As for the remaining answers, geographically speaking, Berlin is in Europe, and it's also the location of the First Second Eruption as well as the hometown of Joyce and Mr. Welt."

"Saint Fontaine should be in Africa, and as for the last one..."

She looked at the three black boxes for option D and gave a slight smirk.

"Can anyone tell me what this is?"

"Maybe the name of some place is just three black boxes?" Raven said half-jokingly, making Jackal glance at her. After a moment of confusion, Jackal gave a serious assessment that darkened Raven's face.

"I didn't... realize you had a talent for telling corny jokes."

Naturally, Raven's joke wasn't taken into consideration.

"Aside from that place called Teyvat and this inexplicable black box, the remaining answers are Saint Fontaine and Berlin, right?"

Einstein's expression remained unchanged as she calmly said:

"To be honest, I would believe that Welt is in Berlin."

Although Westerners like them don't have the same strong attachment to returning to their roots as people from Shenzhou,

they still miss their hometowns.

It's not surprising that Welt would be in Berlin,

but it's highly unlikely that he disappeared there.

"As for Saint Fontaine, that place might be unfamiliar to Welt... Hmm, another remote backwater."

Einstein spoke calmly but added a cold chuckle at the end.

"Judging from our leader's past record, disappearing in a place like that... huh."

The implication was obvious, naturally making Welt even more embarrassed.

"In short, the correct answer is probably Saint Fontaine."

That was the final conclusion.

Now, naturally, it was time to decide who would answer.

The selection method was rock-paper-scissors.

Rules: The first one knocked down loses.

Σ(ŎдŎ|||)ﾉﾉ

"...This rule... could it be..."

Bronya looked at the rules and couldn't help but smirk.

Seele, Bronya, and Wendy gave up the competition.

Kiana and Mei gave up the competition.

...

In short, the last ones remaining were...

Only...

Otto and Gray Serpent.

What? Why only them?

Because they were shameless, of course.

This rock-paper-scissors game... no, it was more like a brawl.

The winner was the first to knock out the other person in a game of rock-paper-scissors.

In a battle like this, theoretically, Fu Hua, Theresa, or even Durandal should have had the advantage.

Any one of those three could deal tremendous damage with a single punch.

But the competition included Otto and Gray Serpent, two mechanical beings.

Engaging in brutal hand-to-hand combat with flesh and blood against a block of metal was something only a madman would do!

It would be incredibly frustrating not only to fail to win the fight but also to get beaten up for nothing.

After a brutal, bone-crunching fight—a true testament to manly skill—the battle for the right to answer ended with Otto's face twisted in pain and Gray Serpent's brain short-circuiting and smoking.

In short, Otto won.

"Your Excellency, are you alright?"

Rita looked at Otto's twisted face with concern, but the smile hidden behind the hand covering her mouth revealed that this seemingly heartless maid's true feelings were not what they appeared.

"I'm fine."

Otto's expression remained unchanged. He reached up and straightened his face, restoring it to normal.

Soulium possesses high plasticity. A deformation of this degree could be easily corrected with slight adjustments.

Otto, having regained his smile, gently raised his hand and announced the answer.

"The correct answer is: Saint Fontaine!"

[Correct answer!]

As expected, the answer was correct.

Tesla clicked her tongue, half annoyed.

But she couldn't be bothered with that anymore and simply looked at the video.

Although she was extremely annoyed with Otto, the video about to be shown, which possibly contained information about defeating Honkai, was undoubtedly more important than the detestable Otto.

—The afterglow of the setting sun dyed the sky red, shimmering beside the eerie floating objects.

A rather breathtaking scene was revealed to everyone through the video.

Inside an abandoned building, a young man in a peculiar uniform gazed up at the magnificent view, looking somewhat dazed.

"Considering the mission?"

A familiar voice came from behind the young man.

As he turned around, a familiar yet strangely alluring figure came into view.

Long black hair cascaded down her back like a waterfall, reaching her waist. She wore a white combat outfit that accentuated her curvaceous figure, with thin, gauze-like skirts that hugged her strikingly slender thighs.

"...Mei... Mei?!"

Kiana's pupils contracted as she stared at the familiar, instantly recognizable face. A jolt ran through her, a mixture of surprise and uncertainty washing over her.

Although her appearance had changed slightly, this face was undeniably Raiden Mei.

However, compared to the Mei they knew, this Mei in the image appeared more mature and carried a more distinctive aura.

Raiden Ryoma, seeing his daughter all grown up, was momentarily speechless with excitement.

"...Is that me?!"

Mei looked at her reflection in the image with some surprise, resting her chin on her hand as she examined herself for a moment.

"She looks alright... but this style... it feels a little strange."

In the video, Mei's outfit was noticeably more dazzling and revealing.

But knowing herself as she did, Mei probably preferred more conservative, simpler, and less flashy clothing.

However, this wasn't something to worry about.

After all, people change.

Maybe she liked red today and black tomorrow.

Who knew how her fashion sense would evolve?

"Mei-neechan is so pretty when she grows up!"

Seele's eyes sparkled as she looked at the mature Mei in the video and exclaimed.

She loved mature, reliable older sisters.

Yeah... because they made her feel safe.

Seele pressed a finger against her cheek, her eyes filled with envy.

She wanted to become a mature older sister like that too.

Just thinking about interacting with children and striking a pose like a big sister made her excited.

"It's okay. Seele will be pretty when she grows up too."

Cecilia reached out and patted Seele's head, giving her a gentle smile.

Then she looked back at the video and said:

"However... from that worrying look before to this..."

Cecilia's words instantly made everyone realize what had happened.

Just moments ago, Mei had worn a cold, ruthless expression as she resolutely declared, "I'll be relegated to the kitchen in exchange for you to have a good meal."

But in this video, she had transformed into a gentle and mature older sister.

Wasn't that a bit too much of a change?

This isn't even a big change? You could tell me Mei's script changed, and I'd believe you.

"Judging from her age, it's been quite a while since Mei became the Herrscher of Thunder. Maybe something happened afterward."

Tesla clicked her tongue in amazement, not forgetting to add.

"Besides, this world isn't necessarily our future. It could be a parallel world, just like before."

"But speaking of that, what is that thing in the sky?"

Recalling the huge floating object in the video, she couldn't help but frown.

"According to the title, Honkai should have already been dealt with in the video, right?"

"Without Honkai, suspending a city in the air—let's not even talk about how difficult that is or how much energy it would consume. Just look at that blood-red sky. That thing looks extremely ominous!"

---

Chapter 243: He May Not Be a Good Person, but He Is a Good Grandfather

“Maybe it's something else, like... a new enemy, an alien invasion, or something?”

Seele rested her index finger on her chin, blinked, and offered a hypothesis to Tesla.

Wendy smirked, annoyed. “This isn't some level-based game where you defeat one enemy only for another to appear.”

But Einstein had a different opinion regarding Seele's hypothesis.

She raised an eyebrow, seemingly recalling something from the past, and spoke in a firm, undeniable voice.

“Aliens... that's not impossible.”

“Huh? There really are aliens?!”

Kiana was somewhat surprised. In her mind, aliens existed only in fiction.

“Um... a few years after the Second Eruption, Mophead and I received a collaboration request from Schicksal... from someone, and then...”

Tesla started to say something, but suddenly remembered something, subtly glanced at Himeko, and stopped abruptly.

Leaving things unfinished wasn't a good habit. Himeko crossed her arms, stared at Tesla, and pressed.

“And then? Dr. Tesla?”

During that time, she had also been in contact with Anti-Entropy.

Later, she suddenly received news of her father's death, and the only clue pointed to Schicksal. It was something Himeko had always resented.

It wasn't a big deal when it hadn't been mentioned before, but now that Tesla had brought it up, Himeko naturally wouldn't let this opportunity to uncover the truth slip away.

“Ahem...” Welt coughed lightly, drawing Himeko's attention and causing her to frown.

She had almost forgotten about this man.

The lecturer she had once admired had turned out to be the leader of Anti-Entropy, something she only discovered much later after joining Schicksal.

Welt felt somewhat embarrassed and wasn't sure what to say, given that the truth was that Himeko's father had attacked him and he had killed him in self-defense.

Einstein, understanding Welt's predicament, stepped in to help.

“Himeko, please don't press the matter any further.”

“Inappropriate?”

Himeko's expression darkened, but she still pressed on.

Einstein nodded.

As for Ryusuke Murata, since it was all in the past, it should be left to the flow of time.

Otherwise, the image of that seemingly great father in his daughter's eyes would likely be shattered.

“Hoo.”

Himeko took a deep breath, her chest rising and falling as she struggled to calm herself.

She was an adult and had even taught quite a few students.

From the expressions in the eyes of the people from Anti-Entropy, she understood that they were only remaining silent for her own sake.

In that case, there was nothing more she could do.

Otto, of course, hadn't missed the conversation between Himeko and Einstein.

Especially since it involved Schicksal.

“Someone...”

Given Tesla's wording, Otto's intelligence made it easy for him to identify the person she was referring to based on the timeline.

“Ryusuke, huh?”

Recalling that outstanding researcher from years ago, a hint of regret flickered across Otto's smile.

He truly had been a remarkable talent.

Just a bit 'mischievous.'

On the fathers' side, Siegfried casually put an arm around Ryoma and said with a grin, “Hey, your daughter is going to be quite beautiful in the future.”

“...”

Ryoma remained expressionless, merely rolling his eyes before shoving Siegfried's hand away in annoyance.

His daughter had grown into a stunning beauty, and as a doting father, he should indeed have been happy.

But the thought of his daughter's heartfelt confession, and the possibility that she might be snatched away by that white-haired girl from the Siegfried family, sent a pang through his heart.

—This was just the beginning.

Upon hearing Raiden Mei's voice, everyone recognized the young man in the video as Adam.

On the surface, he seemed reserved and quiet, the type who kept everything bottled up.

“No, Captain. I was just spacing out.”

“Ha, then I'll give you something to do.”

Mei in the video chuckled softly, covering her mouth, her mature appearance giving her a unique charm.

“Here, you'll write the mission report this time.”

She handed the report to the young man named Adam with a chuckle, then tilted her head slightly to look at the enormous object floating in the sky, its reflection visible in her eyes.

“What exactly is that?”

Her fingers clasped together beneath her chin, Mei unconsciously furrowed her beautiful brows, a hint of confusion in her eyes.

“...There's nothing like that in the satellite images.”

“An unidentified flying object.”

The young man named Adam answered bluntly.

“That's like saying nothing at all... but it's certainly a meticulous answer. As expected of St. Freya's top student.”

Just like her appearance, Mei in the image smiled slightly while covering her mouth, perfectly complementing her elegant demeanor.

“I'm not as rigid as the Fourth Squad Captain. It's okay to let my imagination run wild sometimes.”

“This thing floating in the sky... my intuition tells me it must be related to Mr. Welt's disappearance... Never mind. Let's go back and talk about it later.”

Kiana looked at Mei and sincerely remarked.

"Mei has really changed a lot.”

The Mei of the past smiled often, but her smiles had always been gentle and soft.

In reality, however, she was quite serious.

After arriving at St. Freya, she became even more serious, and everyone indulged her occasional capricious behavior.

But the future Mei in the image carried an air of world-weariness in both her speech and mannerisms.

That feeling... was similar to Teacher Himeko and her mother, but even more dazzling.

Hmm... quite similar to Ms. Rita.

At the same time, Kiana was also somewhat puzzled.

“But isn't St. Freya Academy a Valkyrie academy? This guy named Adam... shouldn't he be a boy?”

As a training institution for Schicksal Valkyries, St. Freya Academy was almost entirely staffed by women, aside from a few teachers.

“Judging from the title, Honkai is over. In that case, the Valkyrie forces that once fought the Honkai must have changed.”

Theresa, however, wasn't surprised. She glanced at the young man named Adam in the image and calmly said,

“If it weren't for the limitation of men's Honkai adaptability, it would be understandable for St. Freya to transform into a more ordinary academy after defeating the Honkai.”

As Cecilia's legacy, this was also where Kiana and Mei had grown up.

Even if they truly defeated the Honkai, they couldn't simply abandon it.

“But about Mei... Captain... and this so-called Fourth Squad.”

“It seems that even in the future, we'll still be walking the path of struggle, at least judging from our roles.”

Cecilia smiled, glancing at Kiana, Mei, Seele, Wendy... oh, sorry, this one was too old.

Anyway, putting aside those pretending to be young, she said softly,

“That's normal. After all, these children are all very outstanding.”

Even if the Honkai was defeated, with the exceptional abilities of Mei, Bronya, and Kiana, they would certainly hold important positions in that future.

Book of Fuxi, perched on Fu Hua's shoulder, was concerned about the so-called Fourth Squad Captain Mei mentioned in the video. Catching the keyword "rigid," she couldn't help but wonder,

“Hmm... rigid... that so-called Fourth Squad Captain... could it be my Jingwei?!”

“Indeed, that's very likely.”

Otto nodded slightly. When it came to being rigid, the first person who came to mind was probably his old friend.

Fu Hua's existence was practically synonymous with the word.

Whether it was her way of doing things, her age...

Or even her appearance... Ahem.

“Hmm... Lady Durandal should also fit that description, shouldn't she?”

Rita, however, had a different opinion, glancing at Durandal, who had inexplicably fallen into deep thought beside her.

Those words immediately brought Durandal back to her senses.

Realizing Rita was calling her rigid, she looked at Rita in disbelief and pointed at herself.

“Am I rigid?!”

In Durandal's view, she had absolutely nothing to do with being rigid.

Whether it was her way of doing things, her age, or even her... ahem.

Rita met Durandal's gaze, understanding exactly what she was thinking.

She sighed before covering her eyes dramatically, pretending to cry.

“Don't you have any idea how rigid you are?!”

While the two clowns argued like this, the footage continued.

—April 27, 13:32, Saint Fontaine Newmore District

“Let's organize the information we have.”

Carrying herself with mature composure, Mei spoke steadily while holding a prepared information sheet. Facing the young man named Adam, she began,

“On April 13—fourteen days ago—Mr. Welt Yang left his post at E.T. Studio at the invitation of St. Fontaine. It was supposedly a ‘business trip.’”

“He arrived at Cairo Airport on the 15th before taking the maglev train to St. Fontaine.”

She paused before letting out a quiet sigh.

“Schicksal satellites captured images of a man resembling him getting off at Saad Station. After that, he disappeared... There was no further news, and no surveillance footage captured his whereabouts.”

“Our Third Squad's mission is to find Welt Yang and safely return him to Schicksal headquarters.”

Having recounted everything thoroughly and formally announced the mission objective, Mei raised her head and asked,

“That's everything. Any questions?”

Upon hearing this,

Wendy looked puzzled.

“Why would they send Mr. Welt to Schicksal headquarters after finding him?”

“...The purpose of Schicksal and Anti-Entropy is to fight the Honkai. If the Honkai is defeated, then the distinction between the two organizations becomes much less significant.”

“In that situation, the possibility of Schicksal and Anti-Entropy merging cannot be ruled out.”

Einstein replied calmly.

“Or rather, such a development would be quite normal. After all, Anti-Entropy's predecessor was Schicksal's North American Branch.”

“Hmph... merge them into one? Let's wait until Otto steps down first.”

Tesla curled her lip and shot Otto a displeased look.

She had to admit that Einstein's assessment was highly plausible.

But honestly, Otto—that bastard—would definitely have to go before Schicksal and Anti-Entropy could merge.

Otherwise, forget it.

Otto, however, didn't seem to care about Tesla's displeasure. He raised a hand slightly and smiled.

“Well... regarding that, the two doctors... no, all the members of Anti-Entropy needn't worry.”

“Actually, according to my original plan, I was already prepared to step down from the position of Archbishop of Schicksal at the appropriate time.”

Those words silenced everyone.

Even Tesla, who wanted nothing more than to bring Otto down, looked somewhat incredulous.

“You'd really give up the seat you're sitting in?”

Those familiar with Otto's history knew he had served as Archbishop for five hundred years.

The Archbishop of Schicksal—a position of immense prestige. He commanded humanity's primary force against the Honkai, and with his own abilities, Otto was practically the sole authority within Schicksal.

What immense power.

Otto simply smiled without answering.

Power?

Wealth?

Those who truly understood him knew he had never cared about such things.

If it hadn't been for his desire to resurrect the saint in his heart and the responsibilities he carried, he would have stepped down long ago.

Come to think of it, he had even met Joyce before, and had once expressed his wish for him to succeed as *Overseer* of Schicksal.

Unfortunately, they had eventually fallen out, ending their conversation with sarcasm.

“My granddaughter, Theresa Apocalypse, is the most ideal successor to the position of *Overseer* of Schicksal in my eyes.”

“...Me? Grandpa...”

Hearing this shocking revelation, Theresa's mind went blank.

Although she was the head of the Apocalypse family and Otto's most beloved granddaughter,

Theresa had never imagined that her grandfather intended for her to inherit all of Schicksal.

Otto noticed the unease in Theresa's lowered gaze.

He understood the source of that unease.

First, she doubted whether she was truly capable of inheriting Schicksal.

Otto looked directly at Theresa's small figure and chuckled softly.

“Hehe, don't be afraid, my lovely Theresa. You're already good enough. The rest is simply a matter of experience.”

“Otto will pave the way for you once his wish is fulfilled. Until then, you can continue to grow in peace and prepare to inherit Schicksal.”

Second, it was because succeeding him also meant inheriting the burden of everything he had done.

But Otto had never cared about that.

“Grandpa never cared about what you did, my lovely Theresa.”

Otto Apocalypse was undoubtedly a scoundrel, a man willing to abandon everything to achieve his ambitions, constantly crossing moral boundaries—the greatest villain in human history.

But his love for Theresa never changed.

That would never change, even if she disobeyed him, deceived him, betrayed him, or even killed him with her own hands one day.

He might not be a good person.

But as long as Theresa's path did not conflict with his lifelong goal, Otto Apocalypse was unquestionably a good grandfather.

---

Chapter 244: Sexy Kevin, Leading the Way in Slurping Noodles

Mei's smile faded. She habitually crossed her arms, her face filled with worry, a far cry from her previous nonchalance.

"When I first received this mission, I was quite optimistic."

"Mr. Welt has often disappeared in the past, but he always returned safely. He's always on the front lines of danger."

"After arriving in this city, I realized things might not be so simple. Besides that huge thing in the sky, there are many other unusual things about this city. What do you think?"

Burdened by Mei's expectations and question, Adam fell silent for a moment.

Then, he calmly replied.

"Satellite images are normal, but there's no one in the city, and an invisible barrier blocks the way out. Electronic signals are also unusable here..."

Mei, in the video, nodded slightly, a hint of satisfaction in her eyes at Adam's keen observations of the anomalies.

"Your observations are quite sharp. I noticed those too."

"Schicksal's satellites scanned almost every inch of Saint Fontaine beforehand but found nothing."

"But upon arriving here, they discovered there was no one, no life—only a false digital prosperity."

"And the invisible barrier that allows entry but not exit, along with the blocked electronic signals, was all set up by someone to hide this city."

Mei rested her chin on her hand, a hint of coldness appearing in her eyes, hardened by experience.

"However, if that's the case, one thing is very strange."

"Captain, you mean... Mr. Welt's arrival?"

As a top student at St. Freya, Adam's abilities were considerable. Mei had already explained things to this point, so he naturally understood, though he remained somewhat doubtful.

Mei lowered her hand to her waist, a smile playing on her lips as she stated confidently.

"That's right. If someone truly wanted to conceal the situation in this city, they wouldn't have deliberately attracted Mr. Welt's attention... unless the person who kidnapped him was interested in his 'former identity.'"

Mei emphasized the words "former identity."

The video ended there.

Somewhat abruptly.

However, everyone was generally used to the nature of this Q&A Space.

"Judging from the information revealed in the images, perhaps we truly did defeat Honkai in the future."

"However... Mr. Welt's disappearance meant only a small team could be sent to search for him. Perhaps our situation, and Schicksal's, wasn't much better back then."

Listening to Mei's words, Tesla sighed.

"That's to be expected. After all, it's Honkai."

Throughout humanity's thousands of years of struggle against Honkai, sacrifice had always been inevitable.

Knowing that they successfully fulfilled their long-cherished wish of defeating Honkai in the future was indeed exhilarating.

But the sacrifices hidden behind this joy, unknown to them, could not be ignored.

"If you had fought Honkai head-on, I think most of you here would have died."

In response, Kiana, who had remained silent until now, gave a clear, expressionless answer:

"You would all die."

Although she was surprised, even somewhat incredulous, to learn that the humans from another world had defeated Honkai, upon further reflection, Kiana could roughly guess the truth.

These people definitely hadn't defeated Honkai through conventional means... no, perhaps it was impossible to defeat Honkai through conventional means in the first place.

After all, this was a battle against the Herrscher of Finality, a terrifying force far surpassing the combined strength of the previous thirteen Herrschers.

Even if the Finality of that world wasn't as powerful as hers, Finality was still Finality.

On the foundation of civilization, attempting to defeat a god's proxy in direct combat was undoubtedly foolish.

Even Kevin, who was Honkai's sworn enemy, had essentially used Project Stigma to avoid fighting Finality directly, defeating Honkai through an indirect approach.

But...

"Let me offer you all my praise in advance."

Kiana's golden eyes swept over the group, her expression calm.

Although she could guess that this so-called victory over Honkai was highly questionable, since Kiana and the others could achieve this long-cherished wish in the future, as the judge, she would offer praise even for a clever trick.

As the loser, she offered her blessings and envied her companions from another world.

Of course, this was only a preliminary blessing.

Although the images depicted their future victory over Honkai,

it remained just that—a future that had yet to be realized.

Living in the present, every action they took would fundamentally change the world.

With the unstable element of the Q&A Space and the current chaotic state of affairs, no one knew whether a future like the one depicted in the images could ever be achieved.

Kiana and the others certainly understood this.

But Kiana felt no fear of the unknown.

Her face was resolute, her fist clenched, as she declared with unwavering certainty.

"...The future will be even better in our hands!"

"An... end where everyone can smile!"

Gazing upon this resolute determination, "Kiana" was momentarily lost in thought.

Though somewhat different... this feeling was so similar to her own back then.

She knew how naive and unrealistic that idea was.

She had long since given up hope, no longer clinging to any expectations for the future.

But looking at this girl who bore her identical appearance, "Kiana" couldn't help but feel a glimmer of hope rising within her.

"A future that defeats Honkai, huh?"

Su opened his eyes wide. His deep eyes, seemingly containing the universe itself, were filled with melancholy, joy, and... relief.

The tens of thousands of years of observation had been agonizing for him.

But now, a clear breakthrough had finally appeared.

Suddenly, he looked at Kevin beside him.

"Are you still going to persist?"

"Until we have concrete results, what I'm doing will not change."

Kevin remained expressionless, still steadfast in his conviction.

Even for him as its executor, Project Stigma was the last thing he wanted to carry out.

Otherwise, Su wouldn't have had the chance to seal him away a thousand years ago.

And now, with Honkai about to strike, he, burdened by everything from the Previous Era, had to fulfill the vow he made to his comrades and loved ones.

"Is that so?"

Su wasn't surprised and sighed.

Perhaps he could only place his hopes in this Q&A Space.

Maybe, at some point, it would offer a possibility that would make his friend put down his burden.

Otto smiled and received his prize:

[Fragmented Magical Girl Contract (1/3)]

[In a certain world, an advanced civilization called the Incubators developed a technology to extract and materialize the souls of young women of marriageable age. This contract is a one-time-use item based on that technology.]

[Effect: After signing the contract, one can fulfill any wish corresponding to their own karma but will also face equivalent despair at the end of their life.]

[Note: Unlike the limitations of the original technology, this item's contract recipients are not restricted by gender or age.]

Staring at the tattered parchment scroll from the Homu reward box, Otto... no, everyone was stunned.

"The technology to extract souls..."

As a scientist, Einstein stared intently at the parchment scroll in Otto's hand.

Scientists were always thirsty for knowledge.

Although she usually appeared calm and unambitious, her thirst for knowledge was no less than Tesla's.

Tesla's reaction was more restrained. After all, she specialized in mechanical engineering, unlike Mophead, who dabbled in physics and quantum mechanics.

She glanced at the parchment scroll with a hint of hesitation before muttering,

"Sounds like some pretty impressive technology, considering it deals with something like the soul, whose existence is uncertain... But why a young woman of marriageable age?!"

"Setting the technology aside for now... just looking at the item's effect, if we ignore the so-called karmic limitation, this thing seems surprisingly powerful."

Welt stared intently at the parchment scroll, while Joyce smiled in understanding.

"After all, it grants any wish. That's too absolute, so having a limitation is only natural."

"But a magical girl contract... are you planning to become a magical girl?"

Glancing at the intriguing item name, Joyce couldn't help looking at Otto, finding it somewhat amusing.

This couldn't really be called a magical girl—more like a magical boy... no, Otto wasn't even a boy.

At over five hundred years old, he should be a magical old man instead.

Otto chuckled lightly, seemingly unconcerned.

"Hmph... if it achieves my goal, why not?"

He wasn't afraid of death as long as he could save Kallen.

What was there to fear about becoming a magical girl?

His sense of shame had disappeared five hundred years ago.

"Unfortunately, it's just a broken object."

He said this with a hint of regret as he tucked the parchment into his clothes.

Wendy, seeing this, propped her chin on her hand while leaning against Seele and couldn't help saying,

"Oh... speaking of which, Headmistress Theresa also has the title of Magical Girl Teriri, right? If Overseer Otto also became a magical girl... wouldn't that make them a grandfather-and-granddaughter magical girl duo?!"

Upon hearing this, a certain image seemed to appear before everyone's eyes.

Ahem... the image was simply too beautiful, pushing everyone's imagination to its limits.

Question 6 then appeared.

【6. In the Previous Era, at someone's suggestion, Kevin organized several team-building activities. What were the contents of Kevin Kaslana's team-building activities?】

【A. Seriously discussing battle plans】

【B. Discussing hobbies】

【C. Discussing everyone's emotional well-being】

【D. Everyone eating noodles together】

Judging from the question, it was another multiple-choice question about the Previous Era, and it was about Kevin.

Upon seeing the question, Su and Fu Hua unconsciously twitched their lips.

"Team building... you mean the Previous Era soldiers actually did that kind of thing?"

Seele was somewhat surprised. Her impression of the Previous Era was that it had always been shrouded in the shadow of Honkai.

"It's precisely because of that pressure that it was necessary."

Fu Hua could guess Seele's thoughts.

"People can't always remain tense. That would be too much pressure."

Although Fire Moth was a military-style anti-Honkai organization, it wasn't entirely heartless... well, actually, even normal armies have activities to help soldiers relax.

"A team-building activity organized by Mr. Kevin... I can almost picture it."

Bronya glanced at Kevin imperceptibly.

"With that cold demeanor... even team-building activities would probably be very serious and boring, right?"

"Indeed," Theresa agreed wholeheartedly.

Of course, those words caused Fu Hua and Su, who knew the truth, to sigh in unison.

It was certainly tedious, but everything else...

The choice ultimately fell into Kevin's hands without any suspense.

Under everyone's gaze, he made his choice expressionlessly.

"Correct answer: D."

[Correct Answer]

Everything happened in an instant.

After it was over, everyone looked as though they had seen a ghost.

"D... if I remember correctly, that was..."

Tesla stared blankly at the answers before immediately noticing the option about everyone eating noodles together.

"N-No way... this?!"

"Your team-building activity... was leading everyone in eating noodles?!"

Kiana looked utterly astonished, as though she were looking at an alien.

Yes, Cecilia was equally surprised.

Raven, as his subordinate, was even more bewildered.

She had never dreamed that her lord's team-building activity would involve leading everyone in eating noodles.

Option A, a serious discussion of battle plans, was entirely possible given that poker face.

Option B, while a bit off-topic, was still a standard team-building activity.

Option C sounded somewhat innocent, but considering her lord's previous innocent, boyish demeanor, it wasn't out of the question.

And then he chose D?!

"How embarrassing..."

Raven covered her face.

Kevin, however, remained oblivious, his expression still blank.

What's wrong with eating noodles?

Were the noodles bad?

Everyone enjoyed them, okay?!

"Ahem."

Even the Overseer of Schicksal couldn't stand it anymore, giving Kevin a strange look.

Leading the team in eating noodles.

Didn't he know that even Otto wouldn't do something like that?

"Isn't it possible that Mr. Kevin was trying to save money?"

Someone suggested.

Instantly, everyone became animated.

Everyone knew team-building activities cost a lot of money.

And Kevin's team-building activity of eating noodles together saved a considerable amount.

Some might say, what's a little money for team building?

But as the saying goes, every little bit adds up. Save here, save there, and eventually it becomes a fortune.

If they could scrape together another hundred million, they could build several more divisions!

Looking at it that way, Kevin Kaslana was practically a master planner.

Sigh, thinking about it that way...

Even Su and Fu Hua, who had experienced it firsthand, looked at Kevin with somewhat shocked expressions.

As expected of you.

Even this had a deeper meaning!

---

Chapter 245: This Is a Necessary Sacrifice!

While they were shocked that Kevin's team-building activity consisted of eating noodles, related videos began to play.

The background was the same area they had seen before: the preparation room where Elysia had spent time and the Flame-Chasers' private area.

Kiana and the others saw a woman they had never seen before. She had dark brown hair, golden eyes, and a face as perfect as a work of art, exuding an air of nobility. She spoke softly with a languid demeanor.

"Even so, his taste still... needs improvement."

"Hey, don't say that, Eden."

Elysia, whom they had met before, leaned against the sofa, calling the former's name with familiarity and affection. Half-closing her eyes, she smiled playfully.

"Back then, although Kevin was slowly turning into an ice block, he was still trying to shoulder the responsibilities of a leader."

"If I remember correctly... he organized the team-building activities during the times I wasn't there, right? It's so heartwarming to think about."

Perhaps because her posture was uncomfortable, she stretched, revealing her captivating figure.

The brown-haired beauty named Eden, seeing this, couldn't help but show a slightly strange expression on her languid face.

She sighed and asked.

"Elysia... you probably don't know the details of those events Kevin organized, do you?"

"Um... yes, why?"

Elysia blinked her elfin eyes and nodded noncommittally, somewhat puzzled by Eden's attitude.

"Well... how should I put it... Back then, I was inexperienced and thought it was part of the Fire Moth's tradition. So I never refused any of his invitations."

"Hmm... it seems I should have told you sooner. And then? What happened next?"

Elysia tapped Eden's cheek repeatedly with her index finger, muttering to herself before revealing a curious expression.

Eden spoke expressionlessly.

"...I've seen at least ten soldiers sitting in a conference room eating noodles together."

"Conference room... eating noodles... hahahaha..."

Unsurprisingly, upon hearing this, the girl named Elysia in the video froze for a moment before bursting into laughter.

This was only natural.

Who would have thought that Kevin, with his cold and aloof demeanor, would organize a team-building activity involving everyone slurping noodles in a conference room?

“This older sister named Eden... she's so beautiful!”

Seele's eyes sparkled as she gazed at the woman named Eden in the image.

Girls always yearn for beautiful things.

Beautiful older sisters are naturally among them.

And Eden, in Seele's eyes... was exactly that kind of exceptionally beautiful older sister.

Her type was different from Mei and Elysia.

Rita also admired her, smiling as she spoke.

“It’s mainly that languid charm, isn’t it? Along with her classical elegance, she’s truly a unique beauty.”

“Of course. In the Previous Era, Eden was known as the golden girl of her time.”

As if it were only natural, Fu Hua reminisced.

"Almost everyone in that era knew the name Eden."

Eden equaled beauty.

Everyone thought so, even those who didn't appreciate art.

Kevin, on the other hand, received his reward:

A bowl... filled with steaming noodles.

【Endless Noodle Bowl】

【A magical bowl that can conjure various flavors of noodles from the user's imagination, and it can never be emptied.】

【Note: You can even slurp it together with everyone.】

When the properties of the bowl came into everyone's view, Raven, one of his subordinates, couldn't help but cover her mouth and laugh out loud.

Good heavens, noodles that could never be finished?!

Our lord is going to take slurping noodles to the extreme!

With this bowl, wouldn't we be able to slurp noodles anytime, anywhere?

Even the usually composed Su broke into a rare laugh.

Of course, everyone else did too.

Only Kevin, the person directly involved, wore a blank expression, his face full of utter disapproval.

"This bowl... I should just smash it!"

Looking at the group laughing hysterically, he couldn't help but have this thought.

But looking at the steaming bowl of noodles in his hand...

...Never mind.

Wasting food is bad!

However, Kevin couldn't keep holding the bowl of noodles. It wasn't just embarrassing; looking at such a tempting bowl of noodles really gave him a strange urge to slurp it up.

Somewhat tormented, Kevin let out a dry laugh and handed the Endless Noodle Bowl to Gray Serpent.

Then, the seventh question appeared on the screen:

【7. Which of the following is Fu Hua a fan of?】

【A. Eden】

【B. Irene Adler】

【C. Magical Girl Teriri】

【D. Hanser】

The question appeared before everyone's eyes.

Looking at it, Himeko glanced at Fu Hua in surprise and asked incredulously.

"You actually have someone you're a fan of, Fu Hua?"

Fu Hua's image to them was that of a rigid, old-fashioned person, and being rigid seemed completely unrelated to fangirling.

"Oh... I really didn't know you, my old friend, would admire a celebrity."

Otto was quite interested as well. He had known Fu Hua for quite some time.

He considered himself to know his old friend fairly well.

What the question revealed was clearly a little-known secret.

"Being a fan... ahem..."

Fu Hua herself was completely bewildered. She couldn't remember ever being a fan of anyone.

"The definition of a fan is simply someone you admire and like. Maybe that definition is rather broad."

"Class Monitor, have you ever admired anyone? Hmm... speaking of which, wasn't that woman named Eden, according to you, the kind of dazzling, universally known celebrity? Perhaps you were a fan of hers too?"

After hearing Mei's words, Fu Hua looked thoughtful.

If Mei's standard was correct, then she should have had someone like that in the past.

However, Eden...

"Eden is unlikely... Although I quite like her songs, I wouldn't call myself a fan."

"If we're talking about someone who fits that description, maybe only my former teammate..."

Fu Hua stopped mid-sentence.

Kevin, expressionless, slowly closed his eyes.

He knew, of course, who Fu Hua was referring to.

Because the person Fu Hua admired was the very one he had personally killed.

"Let's look at the answers first."

"Option A, Eden, was, according to the Class Monitor, the most dazzling celebrity of the Previous Era."

"Option B... seems to be an unfamiliar name."

Bronya hesitated, unsure about Irene Adler.

Seele, however, seemed to suddenly remember something and asked uncertainly,

"Hmm... you don't mean... the one from the Sherlock Holmes stories?"

One of Seele's hobbies was reading, and she had recently been reading Arthur Conan Doyle's famous Sherlock Holmes stories. She had a deep impression of the only woman in them who defeated the protagonist.

“Isn’t that a fictional character?”

Wendy, of course, had read the famous Sherlock Holmes stories, but she was still puzzled.

“No one ever said you can’t be a fan of fictional characters, right?”

Tesla's words left Wendy speechless.

Indeed, no one had ever said that.

In fact, fictional characters often have more fans than many real people.

Mei clapped her hands together to conclude the discussion, then couldn't help glancing at Theresa when she saw answer C.

"Alright, let's skip that for now... Let's look at the remaining answers. Um, Magical Girl Teriri... Headmistress."

"What are you looking at? No matter what, Fu Hua could never be my fan!"

Theresa rolled her eyes, somewhat annoyed.

She had never been that Magical Girl Teriri.

Welt stroked his chin, deep in thought.

"Indeed... but in another parallel world, we can't rule out the possibility that Ms. Fu Hua is a fan of Ms. Theresa."

"Option D is also a somewhat unfamiliar name."

"...Let's leave the choice to Ms. Fu Hua. Everything we've said is only speculation."

The decision was ultimately left to Fu Hua.

This question was undoubtedly hers to answer.

Fu Hua sighed.

After considering the answers, she finally chose the one that seemed the most plausible.

"The correct answer is: Eden!"

Although Fu Hua didn't remember being a fan of Eden,

it was undoubtedly more reliable than the other unfamiliar options, given her personal experience with Eden.

[Incorrect Answer: Irene Adler]

The answer was quickly revealed.

Incorrect.

Fu Hua frowned at the result.

She did recall encountering something related to this during a previous mission in London, but she genuinely had no recollection of Irene Adler.

"Phew."

Fu Hua let out a breath.

Perhaps she really had been a fan of this person back then, but because it was an insignificant and complicated memory, it had been erased and could no longer be retrieved.

This doubt would soon be answered by the unfolding images.

The room in the scene appeared to be decorated in an 18th-century style.

By the window, a young man wearing glasses sat in a chair, browsing through the letters in his hands with an expression as calm as still water.

"Click."

The door opened, and a figure carrying a teapot walked in. She wore a brown coat, her expression serious and rigid, and her appearance was identical to Fu Hua's.

“Mr. Conan Doyle, our disguise has been completely exposed.”

She approached the table with the kettle while simultaneously reminding him.

“Sigh, only one day left. I must think of a better way to approach Ms. Irene Adler. Otherwise, this mission will be impossible to complete.”

The man called Conan Doyle sighed, his expression troubled.

At that moment, Hua tilted the kettle, pouring hot water into the empty teacup.

In a split second, the water gushed out, splashing across the table. Conan Doyle, quick-witted and agile, caught the letters on the table, but the scalding water made his hand tremble.

It all happened in an instant.

Seeing the man's slightly reddened fingers, Hua felt a pang of guilt and quickly apologized,

"Ah, I'm sorry."

"No, no need to apologize. Hua, you've found the blind spot. I have a plan!"

The man named Conan Doyle paid no attention to it. Instead, the slight dampness on the letter and the pain in his fingers gave him an idea.

"Listen, I've learned that Irene knows some medicine and is kind-hearted. Tomorrow we..."

The pressing problem finally had a solution.

He beamed with joy, all traces of his previous distress gone.

The scene shifted to a magnificent manor.

At the manor's entrance, a large crowd had gathered, shouting something.

Not far from the manor, a man with gold-rimmed glasses, dressed as a butler, calmly spoke to a chestnut-haired woman beside him. Dressed in a purple-black tuxedo, she possessed a regal figure and a unique air.

“Miss Irene, these people who appeared out of nowhere are insisting on seeing you. Should I call the police?”

Rita paused slightly at the sight of the woman, her lips twitching involuntarily.

Wait... why does this Irene Adler look so much like me?

However, considering this might be a parallel world, it was only natural that someone so similar to her—or even her counterpart—would appear.

In the scene, the woman named Irene Adler smiled gracefully. Her clothes swayed slightly as she stepped forward, speaking softly with impeccable manners.

“No need. Since you're so eager to see me, then so be it.”

Her voice reached the butler's ears, leaving him speechless.

At that moment, Conan Doyle, who had been hiding in the crowd while waiting for his opportunity, gave his prearranged assistant, Hua, a wink.

This was a necessary sacrifice!

Hua nodded, indicating that she fully understood.

Then, with the force of a crow taking off like an airplane, she burst from the crowd and, with a posture bordering on the bizarre, launched a swooping attack toward her target, Irene Adler.

As Fu Hua's expression gradually stiffened, the Hua in the image shouted a heart-wrenching declaration that made Fu Hua want to die from embarrassment.

"Irene-chan!! I'm your fan!!"

Everything went exactly as expected.

"Watch out!"

As planned, Conan Doyle dashed through the crowd and stood directly in front of the startled Irene Adler.

His practiced stance was clearly the result of numerous rehearsals—a classic hero-saves-the-damsel-in-distress scenario.

Unfortunately, heroism was not the main theme of this performance.

Under the premise of blocking the attack, Conan Doyle successfully took a punch from his assistant, Hua, without hesitation.

The powerful blow was shown in incredibly clear slow motion.

From the moment Conan Doyle's face contorted, to his eyes rolling back, to his loss of consciousness, followed by his graceful arc through the air, everything was executed flawlessly.

It made one want to exclaim:

Perfect.

---

Chapter 246: Bronya Figurines Are the Best!

Judging from the imposing aura Hua exuded in the footage, as well as Conan Doyle's distorted expression and the arc of his backward flight, the possibility of a deep-seated blood feud between the two cannot be ruled out.

Of course, rather than exploring why Hua acted so ruthlessly—questions that might involve personal grudges—the most captivating part of this footage is undoubtedly…

"Irene-chan!! I'm your fan!!"

Even though the footage had been skipped, Hua's high-pitched, powerful shout as she leaped forward as an assistant in the previous scene was enough to leave a deep impression on everyone's mind.

…Perhaps this shameful act was part of Conan Doyle's plan.

But just hearing Fu Hua's voice and seeing her appearance utter such shameful, brainless fan-like words was enough to make everyone burst into laughter.

"Hahahaha!"

In the huge Q&A space, amidst Fu Hua's utterly bewildered expression, the others erupted in joyful laughter.

Just like Kevin slurping noodles earlier, "Irene-chan!! I'm your fan!!"—this shameful statement shouted by Fu Hua—will surely become a classic.

Just as Fu Hua was trembling with shame, like Kevin had been earlier, clenching her fists and feeling an urge to wipe out the entire room to make sure no one had seen her embarrassing moment, the eighth question, appearing just in time, drew everyone's attention.

【8. In the Elysian Realm, who was the most "polite" Flamechaser Mei encountered?】

Judging from the question, it was another passage about the Elysian Realm.

And, similar to previous questions, it asked for an inference about the Flamechaser Mei encountered.

"'Polite' in quotes... so logically it's sarcasm? Hmm, the opposite of politeness should be... impoliteness, right?"

Dudu stroked her chin, glanced at the screen, and guessed.

"Probably."

Rita remained noncommittal, then looked at Fu Hua and politely asked.

"Lady Fu Hua, in your memory, is there a Flamechaser who fits this description? A 'polite' Flamechaser?"

"Although I ask, it's hard to imagine that among the most outstanding warriors recorded in the database from the Previous Era, there could be someone who could be called impolite."

At this point, Fu Hua's stance toward Schicksal wasn't as rigid as she had imagined.

Although she still didn't particularly like Otto, since Rita had asked her and, without considering emotions or stances, Fu Hua intended to answer anyway, she glanced at the question.

"If we're talking about impoliteness, probably none of the thirteen Flamechasers."

"But there is one who's a bit short-tempered and difficult to talk to."

Although her relationship with this person wasn't actually good, and they might even have had a grudge, they were comrades after all. Out of consideration for their past relationship, Fu Hua was a bit tactful.

Su could easily guess who Fu Hua was referring to, and he nodded slightly in confirmation.

"...Indeed, Kalpas isn't the kind of person you can easily get along with. Especially considering... at that time, Raiden Mei was a Herrscher herself."

As he spoke, Su glanced at Mei.

Of course, with his eyes closed, no one could notice whom he had glanced at.

"Kalpas? The Class Monitor seemed to have mentioned that name before. Does Kalpas hate Herrschers?"

Bronya realized she'd said something pointless as soon as she finished speaking.

The Previous Era was very different from this one. Almost all Herrschers were on Honkai's side—enemies.

The people of the Previous Era, whose civilization had been destroyed by Honkai, would probably have all sorts of negative feelings toward Herrschers, even if Fu Hua had lived in that era.

"It seems that, due to some past experiences, among all the Flamechasers, Kalpas is probably the one who hates Herrschers the most."

Fu Hua didn't know Kalpas as well as one might think. She only spoke based on what she knew, then glanced subtly at Kevin and Su.

Compared to her, those two knew Kalpas much better.

Clap!

Theresa clapped her hands quite seriously.

"So, the answer is definitely someone named Kalpas."

The question was most relevant to Mei, and now that the answer was clear, the right to choose undoubtedly fell to her.

She didn't refuse. She exhaled, then very skillfully and naturally announced the answer she had already anticipated.

"The correct answer is Kalpas."

【Correct Answer!】

The answer was quickly confirmed.

This was followed by the video beginning to play.

Everyone watched the upcoming video with curiosity.

After all, it featured yet another Flamechaser, one whom Fu Hua had previously described as leaving a very deep impression.

With that anticipation, a man wearing a black mask appeared on the screen with his back turned.

Judging from the background, it was still the Elysian Realm, the private domain of the Flamechasers.

"Oh, so this is Kalpas? His appearance seems pretty good."

Even without seeing his full appearance, Himeko couldn't help exclaiming in admiration.

Fu Hua twitched the corner of her mouth.

Indeed, Kalpas was good in every way.

...It's just a pity he had a mouth.

As she thought this, Kalpas, facing Elysia and Mei on the screen, suddenly uttered two words:

"Get lost."

Those two concise and easy-to-understand words left Mei speechless.

Of course, everyone who had initially held high expectations for Kalpas was instantly stunned.

It was a bolt from the blue!

Even Kiana couldn't help exclaiming,

"He actually told such a pretty girl to get lost. This guy... there's definitely something wrong with him!"

"Such a clueless straight man."

Tesla couldn't help agreeing as she looked speechlessly at the Flamechaser named Kalpas on the screen.

"Hey, don't be like that, Kalpas."

Seeing this, Elysia quickly stepped in to help and asked Mei with concern,

"How are you, Mei? Did he scare you?"

Of course, this was just a habitual greeting. She couldn't possibly believe that Mei, a Herrscher, would be frightened by a mere "get lost."

With her usual smile, the elf-like pink "girl" giggled and spoke.

"Don't worry, he's just a bit fierce with his words. He would never actually hurt his comrades..."

"Uh... there have been a few accidents, but I don't think that'll happen again, right?"

But as she spoke, she became increasingly uncertain, which was evident in her wavering tone.

Though initially startled by the outburst, Mei quickly recovered and shook her head.

"It's nothing. I didn't... really care."

Elysia approached Kalpas, smiling gently, and spoke softly.

"Anyway, Kalpas... Mei is our guest, after all, so it's best to be polite."

Kalpas's attitude toward Elysia wasn't as harsh as his attitude toward Mei.

"..."

He even seemed to have taken the advice to heart, appearing thoughtful.

Then, after a few chuckles, he very politely changed his wording.

"Get out of my way!"

This scene left everyone speechless once again.

"This guy..."

Tesla stared at Kalpas on the screen with extremely complicated emotions, unsure what to say.

Einstein, however, remained calm and composed.

"At least he used more polite language. At least he tried."

The person directly involved, Mei had the cotners of her mouth twitch. She spoke to Fu Hua, who had foreseen this all along.

"...I suddenly understand what you meant by 'impressive' earlier, Class Monitor."

"Pfft... What a 'polite' gentleman."

Rita lightly covered her mouth, finding Kalpas's behavior somewhat amusing.

It truly captured the word "politeness" in the title perfectly.

The brief video ended there.

Mei then received her prize:

A strange human statue.

"This is... a figure?!"

As an experienced figure enthusiast, Otto Apocalypse immediately recognized the figure in Mei's hand.

The figure depicted a girl with a fantastic figure, silver-gray hair, delicate features, and exquisite combat attire.

"...Wait, why does she look like Bronya Onee-chan?!"

The ever-observant Seele looked at the figure in Mei's hand in surprise.

Kiana looked down and poked the sculpture's imposing chest, dismissively saying,

"Really? This doesn't look like Bronya at all."

This caused Bronya, who had been somewhat concerned, to freeze instantly.

She subconsciously touched... her own unremarkable figure, then glanced at the sculpture. Although somewhat indignant, she also felt this couldn't possibly be her.

After all, the contrast between her and the figure's physique was like night and day.

Mei expressionlessly stretched out her hand, activating the figure's item attributes.

【Bronya Zaychik Figure】

【Quality: Gold (Realistic)】

【A 1/8-scale articulated figure of Bronya Zaychik in her grown-up form after the Honkai Era. Made entirely of silicone, it's very accurate.】

【Growth Aura: Staying near the figure can promote physical growth (supposedly).】

The figure's information caught everyone's attention.

Then…

Everyone fell silent.

The next moment, they erupted in excitement.

"Holy crap, it really is Bronya!?"

Tesla stared at Bronya in shock, then glanced at the figure.

"From that shape to this... she must be a D cup! Did she take hormones?!"

Going from an A cup to a D cup was a leap almost comparable to raising pigs.

"It... it really is Bronya!?!"

Kiana was also stunned, her face filled with disbelief.

Of course, this included Bronya herself.

"...This... is this Bronya?!"

She was completely bewildered, utterly unable to believe that this figure was actually her future self.

Seele, on the other hand, stared intently at the Bronya figure, her eyes sparkling with hearts.

"It really is Bronya Onee-chan! Future Bronya Onee-chan... she looks so pretty, just like Mei-neechan from before!"

Wendy was also shocked, but noticing the obviously mischievous little hearts in Seele's eyes, she couldn't help but retort,

"Hey, Seele, why are your pupils little stars heart-shaped?!"

Stars were one thing, but hearts were another entirely.

Book of Fuxi, perched on Fu Hua's shoulders, waved her little fist while looking on in admiration.

"As expected of you, Bronya. You've actually surpassed my immortal's efforts of thousands upon thousands of years in just a few years!"

Book of Fuxi could no longer bear the shock.

"Book of Fuxi seems a little tired. Let me make her sleep for a while."

Under Water's Edge's horrified gaze, Fu Hua smiled and lowered her hand.

Then she turned her gaze to the Bronya figure.

Leaving aside her enviable assets for the moment,

"Ahem, Mei-kun... I remember you're not someone who likes figures, right? How about I keep this figure for you?"

She coughed lightly, her face full of sincerity.

Of course, in response,

Seele bravely stepped forward, her face resolute.

"The Bronya Onee-chan figure belongs to Seele! Even Class Monitor Fu Hua can't have it!"

As Bronya's devoted fan, how could Seele possibly miss out on a figure brimming with Bronya Onee-chan's mature charm?

In other words, she considered this figure something she absolutely had to have.

"Kids shouldn't play with figures. They should focus on their studies."

"Impossible!"

Looking at Seele, who was usually a gentle girl but now dared to confront Fu Hua like a protective lioness, Bronya felt a sense of unfamiliarity and couldn't help but say weakly.

"...Um, Bronya wants this figure too."

After all, it was a figure of her future self!

Such an enviable figure—having it by her side would be so motivating, making her realize she had such potential!

And... Bronya was also a little tempted by that so-called aura.

Although she knew her future self would grow significantly, with this thing, wouldn't she be able to grow a little faster... or perhaps use it to protect her development and prevent any problems?

More importantly, it was a figure of herself!

Anyone with a modicum of sense wouldn't want a figure of themselves to become someone else's collection, right?

However, faced with this rather weak request, Seele remained resolute.

"No way. Even if it's Bronya Onee-chan, Seele won't give it to her!"

This completely stumped Bronya.

No... I just want a figure of myself...

Wait, that's not the point.

You're standing right in front of a living, breathing Bronya Zaychik, and you're more enthusiastic about a figure than the real Bronya...

Bronya simply couldn't understand why there was such a difference between the two Bronyas.

While Fu Hua and Seele were locked in a heated argument and Bronya was utterly baffled,

Kiana cheerfully took the duckling figure from Mei's hand, and casually spoke.

"Thanks, Mei~"

Yes, while Fu Hua and Seele were locked in their power struggle,

Kiana had already quietly and subtly acquired ownership of the Duck figure from Mei, who was its original owner.

This was easy, of course, since Mei had no particular interest in the figure. While she was surprised, she had no desire to collect it, and the aura held no appeal for her.

Since Kiana had asked for it, she naturally gave the figure to her.

This was a real surprise!

It was a classic case of Seele and Fu Hua catching ducks while the fisherman reaped the benefits!

Under the incredulous gazes of Seele and Fu Hua, Kiana waved the figure in her hand.

"That's it~"

---

Chapter 247: Honkai's Bizarre Adventure

Of course, Kiana wasn't really interested in this Duck figure.

She only did it because she found it amusing that the usually timid Seele and the staid Class Monitor were so obsessed with a figure.

Ahem... but upon closer inspection, the figure was indeed quite good.

Not only was the craftsmanship exquisite, but even the texture felt incredibly realistic. The all-silicone material made it feel like touching the skin of a future Bronya.

Kiana, with her yuri-like tendencies, swallowed hard. Ultimately, however, with her resolute heart, she looked away.

Then the ninth question appeared:

【9. In the eighth world of Honkai Project Ring, who among the following options is the protagonist group's enemy?】

[A. Luna Kindred / Theresa Apocalypse]

[B. The Invincible Golden Goose / Bianka Durandal Atagina]

[C. The Mad Scientist / Mobius]

[D. The Ordinary Immortal / Fu Hua]

The question immediately caught everyone's attention.

"...It's Project Ring again."

Theresa twitched her lips, feeling inexplicably tired and slightly uneasy.

After all, the previous Project Ring questions had almost always subtly persecuted her.

Of course, there was nothing she could do about it. This world called Project Ring had seemingly been built on a framework designed specifically to torment her.

"Pfft!"

Seeing Theresa's reaction, Cecilia, already knowing the reason, covered her mouth and chuckled, making Theresa feel both embarrassed and indignant. However, Cecilia didn't continue teasing her and instead looked seriously at the question.

Judging from the question, there seemed to be no useful clues.

Therefore, the only breakthrough could be found in the answer choices.

However...

Option A was understandable, but starting from option B, Cecilia found herself somewhat at a loss for words.

"These answers..."

Looking at the absurdity of every single option, Cecilia was momentarily speechless.

Rita was naturally paying attention to the question as well.

She looked at option B, which referred to Durandal. Her eyes curved into crescents as she covered her mouth, suppressing a laugh.

"The Invincible Golden Goose... haha, it truly suits Lady Durandal's title."

Naturally, this also caught Bianka's attention.

She glared at Rita before looking at the question, which was clearly implying something about her, with a slightly resentful expression.

However, the questions in the Q&A Space obviously couldn't be argued with.

Himeko was also smiling, but she quickly turned her attention to option C.

"This option C... Mobius seems to be someone I've never heard of."

"Hmph. That's the greatest and wisest of the Thirteen Flame-Chasers of the Previous Era, second only to the Lord."

At that moment, Jackal, a World Serpent executive, stepped forward. He spoke disdainfully of the others' ignorance while openly expressing his admiration for the person named Mobius.

"Hmm... A Flame-Chasers?!"

Mei was somewhat surprised to hear that.

Fu Hua nodded slightly, but before she could speak, Raven interrupted, showing no goodwill whatsoever toward the Flame-Chasers.

"That's a very dangerous person."

Almost every World Serpent executive had undergone the trials of the Elysian Realm.

Mobius, who was responsible for biological transformations, had naturally been one of the trials they all encountered.

Unlike Jackal, who admired Mobius as a fellow member and senior, Raven felt only disgust and deep fear toward that dangerous individual who treated every visitor like a laboratory rat.

Fu Hua nodded in agreement.

"Mobius... is indeed a difficult person to deal with."

Even considering their past as comrades, she truly couldn't bring herself to speak favorably of Mobius.

Einstein spoke calmly.

"Let's discuss that later. For now, let's determine the correct answer to this question."

"Since they're the protagonist group's enemy, they must be rather unfriendly... perhaps even a villain, right?"

She wasn't entirely certain.

By definition, those who oppose the protagonists are usually considered villains.

However, it was also possible that this assumption didn't apply.

Furthermore, there was also the possibility that the protagonists themselves were the villains.

"From that perspective, if the so-called protagonists in the question are actually villains, then even Ms. Fu Hua and Ms. Durandal could become their enemies. In fact, that's entirely possible."

Mei chimed in.

"But conversely, would that make the enemies Headmistress Theresa and Mobius?"

"Pah! Why am I assigned to the villain camp?!"

Theresa's lips twitched as she put her hands on her hips, looking thoroughly annoyed.

Her grandfather was one thing, but Theresa herself was an upright and honest person, okay?

Otto nodded in agreement, smiling as he spoke.

"Hmm... my lovely granddaughter truly isn't suited to being a villain."

He directly denied Theresa's ability to play the role of a villain, causing her to roll her eyes and grind her teeth in annoyance.

What did he mean she wasn't suited to being a villain?!

Doing evil things would be easy!

If Theresa really turned evil, even she would be afraid of herself!

"If it were Headmistress Theresa, it really is difficult to imagine her as a villain... but she does have that title."

With Mei's somewhat regretful remark, everyone's attention shifted toward the option associated with Theresa.

【Luna Kindred / Vampire】

"Leaving aside the first title, it roughly refers to vampires. The second title explicitly identifies her as one. From a human perspective, vampires aren't exactly associated with benevolence."

"Furthermore... we have to consider the world's setting. The journey involves saving a world ravaged by the TeRi-baka virus."

Mei analyzed everything methodically.

"Taking all of that into account, no matter how you look at it, Principal Theresa, the prototype of the TeRi-baka virus and the ultimate target, appears to be an indispensable member of the antagonists."

"Of course, that doesn't necessarily mean the answer is Principal Theresa alone. After all, I only said she was one possibility."

She clasped her hands together and looked around at everyone.

"Dr. Mobius, who bears the title of Mad Scientist, is also highly suspicious."

"The answer depends on the perspective and alignment of the so-called protagonist group mentioned in the question."

Einstein calmly took over the discussion, her eyes as calm as still water.

She subtly glanced at Kiana.

"Considering Kiana's role as that world's savior, as well as the precedent of her integrating into previous worlds, we can tentatively use Kiana's perspective as the basis for identifying the protagonists."

It was still only speculation, but given the limited information available, it was the most reasonable conclusion.

Welt adjusted his glasses, the lenses reflecting everyone present.

"Let's assume the answer is either Theresa or Dr. Mobius, representing the antagonistic faction. The final decision will be left to whoever answers the question."

That brought the discussion to a close.

Since the question didn't specify any particular person, neither option held any priority.

The selection would be decided by a mechanical game of rock-paper-scissors.

And the winner was... Raven!

"Huh?!"

Seeing the result, Raven, who had only been participating for fun, was completely stunned.

But her shock was quickly replaced by joy.

Answering a question had instantly transformed her from a hardworking employee into a wealthy woman.

If this happened a few more times, wouldn't she become the boss herself?!

At that moment, Raven was overflowing with excitement.

She stared at the two options they had identified as belonging to the antagonist camp.

Instinctively, she wanted to choose Mobius because she had an absolutely terrible impression of her.

But after thinking it over...

"I choose A!"

Raven decisively chose Theresa.

Why?

Well, it was probably just a spur-of-the-moment decision.

Besides, she found Theresa rather pleasing to the eye.

[Correct answer!]

That impulsive decision produced a result that made Raven want to jump with joy.

Naturally, Theresa's expression darkened.

Why! Was she really the villain?!

At that moment, the scene began to unfold.

—

Inside an unfamiliar room, from Kiana's perspective, she slowly climbed out of bed and looked around at her unfamiliar surroundings in confusion.

"Where... where am I...?"

"Kiana, wake up!"

A gentle voice sounded beside her.

Turning toward the source, she saw Cecilia.

Dressed like a housewife, Cecilia carried a basin full of freshly washed clothes as she walked outside.

"Eh... is that me?"

Seeing herself, Cecilia lightly covered her mouth. A hint of surprise flashed across her eyes before she smiled, stroked her chin, and nodded.

"Hmm... it actually suits me quite well~"

Siegfried, hearing that, felt warmth fill his eyes.

"Mom!"

Kiana, within the scene, was equally surprised by Cecilia's appearance.

She touched her cheek and muttered to herself.

"Did I travel this far back in time?"

But the next moment...

"Eh! Something's not right!"

Kiana stared blankly at the black jacket she was wearing, which radiated the aura of a delinquent.

"What's with this delinquent-looking jacket?!"

The scene made Himeko chuckle.

If she remembered correctly, Kiana had reacted almost the same way in the first world.

Back then, however, she had been wearing a muscle suit instead of delinquent clothing.

Then the scene suddenly changed.

Thump!

Cecilia collapsed to the ground in pain.

Seeing this, Kiana immediately rushed to her side.

"Mom!"

"This is..."

Supporting the fallen Cecilia, her face filled with anxiety, Kiana noticed the TeRi-baka markings that had appeared.

"Damn, it's TeRi-baka's fault again," Tesla muttered speechlessly.

She instinctively complained.

"But what's the big deal? Does loving her mean you have to tattoo her image all over your body?"

Hearing that, Theresa's previously bewildered eyes suddenly lit up.

Before she could react, however, Cecilia—the owner of the tattoo—could only smile helplessly.

Wait, what did having Theresa's image on her body have to do with loving her?

Just then, a mournful cry rang out from the screen.

"Cecilia!"

Immediately afterward, Siegfried appeared with his characteristically rugged appearance.

"In the end... it still happened."

"That voice is..."

Kiana looked toward the sound.

When she saw Siegfried's face, she exclaimed in horror.

"Dad, your art style feels completely different..."

The blunt remark struck directly at the heart of the matter.

"That's Siegfried?!"

Tesla looked utterly dumbfounded.

"The Siegfried from that world looks way too... hardcore!"

Einstein nodded in agreement.

Not only they, but even Siegfried himself was startled by this rugged version of himself.

Only Cecilia recovered from her surprise almost immediately.

Why?

Because that was love.

To truly love someone was to accept every part of them, both their flaws and their strengths.

Even if Siegfried looked incredibly tough, as long as he was still her Siegfried, Cecilia would happily accept him.

Back in the scene, Kiana held Cecilia while looking up in confusion.

"And what about Mom...?"

The Siegfried in the scene spoke in a solemn, deep voice.

"Kiana."

"Actually, our ancestor Theresa became a vampire in order to achieve immortality."

Upon hearing that, Theresa couldn't help twitching her lips.

Wait...

How had she suddenly become Siegfried and Cecilia's ancestor?!

What kind of ridiculous setting was this?!

She had already thought becoming a vampire villain was bad enough, but now she was also the protagonists' blood relative?!

"But she was sealed away soon afterward."

"Wait... why are you suddenly explaining the setting?"

Kiana, who always provided sarcastic remarks, couldn't help interrupting while Siegfried continued speaking.

However, Siegfried ignored her.

"Now it seems the seal has been broken."

"Your mother, who also carries the Kaslana bloodline, awakened a Stand just like you."

"However, her power was simply too great. She couldn't adapt to the sudden change, resulting in a backlash."

The rugged Siegfried looked grief-stricken, but his overwhelmingly hardcore appearance made the scene impossible to take seriously.

Hearing this, Kiana immediately raised her hand.

"Wait, wait, wait a minute."

"What Stand? I have one too?"

She pointed at herself with an index finger, looking utterly bewildered.

This earned her a speechless look from Siegfried.

"Are you still half asleep? It's right behind you!"

At that reminder, Kiana froze.

Her thoughts immediately ran wild.

What?!

I get it. This world is completely different from the one I know.

Is it because I've been using the leg ring too much... or...?

---

Chapter 248: You Will Never Reach the Reality of Leaving Work!

The camera panned in the direction Siegfried had pointed, behind Kiana.

However, when the Stand Siegfried had mentioned came into view, everyone was utterly shocked.

Because the Stand was none other than the Herrscher of the Void, dressed in a casual summer swimsuit and nonchalantly slurping down a bowl of instant noodles!

As if to match Kiana's gaze, the Herrscher of the Void even made a loud slurping sound as she ate.

"A Stand... isn't that the Herrscher of the Void?!"

Looking at the casually dressed Herrscher of the Void in the scene, Tesla's lips twitched as she inwardly roared.

"Don't think you can get away with changing clothes!!"

Einstein casually added.

"She's still the Herrscher of the Void slurping noodles."

Speaking of slurping noodles inevitably brought up World Serpent, and speaking of World Serpent inevitably brought up Kevin.

In short... the Kevin meme just never gets old!

Himeko crossed her arms, glanced teasingly at Siegfried, and quipped.

"Is this a tradition passed down through the Kaslana family? Siegfried likes slurping noodles too, doesn't he?"

"There's no way there's such a tradition!!"

Knowing Himeko was joking, Theresa couldn't help but retort vehemently.

This scene was naturally witnessed by the Herrscher of the Void, trapped within Kiana's body.

Seeing herself slurping noodles like a lazy bum in the image, she turned red with anger, paced back and forth, and finally collapsed onto the ground, rolling around in frustration with large tears streaming down her face.

If that jerk next door saw her looking like this, she'd definitely be laughed at!

— Seele's Inner World

"Hahaha~ I'm dying of laughter. It's rare to see that guy look so stupid."

As expected, just as the Herrscher of the Void had predicted, Black Seele, who wasn't on good terms with her, burst into laughter upon seeing this scene. She collapsed onto the sofa, clutching her stomach as she rolled around in laughter.

"Ugh... my stomach hurts from laughing."

Meanwhile, upon seeing her ghostly Stand, Kiana in the video unsurprisingly exclaimed.

"It's you?!"

Kiana, in a frenzy, grabbed the straps of her summer dress and shook them violently. Of course, the Herrscher of the Void remained calm as she continued slurping her noodles, completely unperturbed.

Just then, two figures pushed open the door and entered. It was Bronya and Mei, dressed in casual home clothes.

"Is that so?"

Mei looked worried and somewhat helpless.

"Then... is there really nothing we can do to help now?"

"Actually, there is still a way."

Siegfried, wearing a very serious expression, spoke solemnly:

"That is to find and defeat the resurrected vampire Theresa!"

"We shouldn't delay!"

Urged on by Siegfried, Kiana, who was completely overwhelmed by the fast pace, looked bewildered.

"Eh? Wait, I still don't understand what's going on!?"

Before she could get an answer, their Stands and abilities were introduced to the accompaniment of exciting background music.

— Kiana Kaslana, Stand: Queen's Star. Abilities: Comedian and Instant Noodles.

"What's the use of this ability?!"

Just as Kiana complained in the scene, she couldn't help but complain again after seeing her Stand's two incredibly bizarre abilities.

"Putting aside the Comedian ability, is eating instant noodles even an ability?!"

Before anyone else could speak, the others' Stands were revealed:

— Siegfried Kaslana, Stand: Judgment of Shamash. Ability: Launching an awesome attack.

— Raiden Mei, Stand: Herrscher of Food. Ability: Cooking exceptionally well.

— Bronya Zaychik, Stand: Project Bunny. Ability: Car, such a fast car~

The names and abilities of the three Stands were briefly introduced.

But...

"Except for Siegfried's, what do the others' Stands have to do with battle?!"

While Theresa was complaining, Mei couldn't help rubbing her forehead.

Here it came again—the classic "cook" segment...

She suddenly wanted some peace and quiet.

Bronya stared blankly at the image, the explanation of her ability seemingly echoing in her ears.

She spoke in her usual flat yet disgruntled tone.

"Bronya senses deep malice!"

What did they mean, her ability was driving a really fast car?!

Her invincible Project Bunny was reduced to nothing more than a really fast car?!

Unacceptable!!

Fast-forward to Hands and Feet Trading.rpg.

"Alright, let's go!"

In the scene, as the four prepared to depart, Kiana thought to herself with a dejected expression,

"I think I've been transported to an incredible world."

However, they had barely stepped outside.

Screech!

A black luxury car came into view.

A familiar maid...

Seeing her, Rita covered her mouth and chuckled.

The maid opened the car door.

Then, holding a gorgeous parasol and dressed in L0Iit@ fashion, Theresa Apocalypse appeared on screen.

"...This is Theresa?! Wasn't she supposed to be the final boss? How come she delivered herself right to our doorstep?"

Following Tesla's comment, Einstein added.

"And in broad daylight at that!"

As everyone knew, vampires were afraid of sunlight.

What was she doing out in broad daylight?!

Cecilia chuckled as she covered her mouth.

"At least Theresa has an umbrella."

Just as everyone was wondering why Theresa, the final boss, had appeared so suddenly—and so openly as a vampire in broad daylight—

The vampire Theresa stood proudly and let out a cold snort.

"Hmph, did you think I'd let you slowly grow stronger before coming to kill me?"

"I'm not like some old-fashioned British people who need time to adapt to their bodies."

She covered her mouth with a laugh before saying smugly,

"I'll wipe out all of you obstacles right now!"

"Prepare for battle!"

Siegfried's expression turned serious as he took the lead and gripped the Judgment of Shamash.

Standing beside him, Kiana looked utterly bewildered.

"Eh... wait a minute, I'm already dizzy from this fast-paced plot..."

Of course, it wasn't just her.

Even the audience was speechless.

"It's like skipping dozens of episodes of the plot... Let's ignore Theresa's logic for now."

Welt stroked his chin and nodded slightly.

"Preventing the main characters from growing stronger by fighting weaker enemies and directly eliminating their potential is indeed a very cautious and prudent approach. However, for a vampire to appear so openly in broad daylight is still rather reckless."

Yang had always been a fan of comics and had even directed a wildly popular animated series.

Because of that, he understood all too well the ridiculous situation where a villain constantly fed the protagonist experience points, ultimately creating the very hero who would defeat them.

But...

"Come on! You weak humans!"

Theresa revealed an arrogant smile and raised her hand. To everyone's astonishment, she casually tossed aside the parasol she was holding.

No... big sister, you're a vampire!

Coming out in broad daylight to block the protagonist's path was already outrageous enough.

What kind of move was throwing away your umbrella right before unleashing your ultimate attack?!

Seeing this, Kiana couldn't help exclaiming,

"Wait... did Auntie throw away her umbrella?!"

Sure enough...

"Ah!"

When Theresa finally realized what had happened, she let out a blank cry before the sunlight instantly turned her gray.

"...Eh?!"

Kiana was bewildered, and everyone else who saw it was equally stunned.

Most of them were simply speechless.

As Theresa's best friend, Himeko was also speechless at Theresa's meticulously planned yet disastrous attack.

"This move... is exactly what I'd expect from Theresa."

"What do you mean, 'exactly what you'd expect from Theresa'?!" Theresa protested unhappily.

Otto chuckled.

"See? I told you my adorable granddaughter wasn't suited to being a villain!"

"Grandpa!"

As Theresa stomped her foot in dissatisfaction, the screen changed once more.

"Although many sad things happened, I'm very happy."

Mei's eyes welled up with tears of emotion, as though she had just survived a grueling battle.

"It's because of everyone that this journey has been so enjoyable."

The only normal person in the group, Kiana, couldn't help scoffing.

"Wait, we barely left the house..."

But...

"Yes..."

The tough-looking Siegfried gazed at her with deep satisfaction.

"I'm truly happy. I really feel that way from the bottom of my heart."

Bronya wiped away her tears and nodded.

"Yeah."

"This world is so strange."

Kiana, looking utterly dejected, suddenly felt a surge of energy from her trans-dimensional leg ring.

Realizing the mission had been completed, she looked somewhat surprised.

"Eh, does this even count...?"

"Never mind, let's head to the next world..."

Finally, the image faded as Kiana happily departed.

"That's it?"

Kiana patted her cheeks in disbelief.

Mei smiled.

"It was a bit rushed... but it really does seem to be over."

"...Pfft. First, I suddenly had to fight my vampire aunt to save my mother. Then a bunch of nonsensical settings and bizarre Stand abilities appeared... and then my aunt, the final boss, blocked the door."

"She strikes a very cool and wise pose, but then, because she's a vampire, she throws away her umbrella and dies on the spot..."

"And after that, they even get a grand, dramatic ending..."

Kiana's face was filled with exasperation.

"What on earth is this?!"

"Indeed... it seems like a truly third-rate script," Bronya nodded in agreement.

"Considering this is the world of Project Ring, it's not surprising. The theme of that world seems to be illogical and nonsensical."

Mei calmly continued.

"In that case, this kind of anticlimactic and nonsensical story is actually more acceptable."

"However, the Headmaster's career as a villain was really short-lived."

"Hmm... is this what they call 'dying in less than one episode'?"

Half-jokingly, Himeko said something that made the veins on Theresa's forehead bulge.

"It can't even count as one episode. Judging from her screen time, Theresa's appearance and subsequent death didn't even last a minute."

Then Cecilia chimed in with a smile. Theresa had thought Cecilia was trying to comfort her, but Cecilia's words instead made her want to cough up blood.

As Theresa's biggest admirer, Rita covered her mouth and chuckled as she added another blow.

"Hehehe, even Theresa-sama dying on the spot is still cute!"

"Completely incomprehensible."

Nearby, Raven, a member of World Serpent, muttered to herself before turning her attention to her prize, the Homu Box.

The last time she opened one, she had gone from a struggling worker to an incredibly wealthy woman.

It was like going from a bicycle to a motorcycle.

So this time, naturally, it would be like going from a motorcycle to a sports car!

Success would bring her everything; failure... cough, never mind.

Anyway, filled with excitement, Raven opened the Homu reward box.

The instant she opened it, a golden light shot out, striking Raven directly before merging into her body.

The sudden turn of events startled Raven, causing her to instinctively throw the Homu Box away.

"What's going on?"

This unusual situation immediately attracted everyone's attention. Tesla looked at Raven in confusion.

The discarded Homu Box had already disappeared, proving that the golden light had indeed been an item from the box.

Kevin's gaze also fell upon Raven.

He was still somewhat concerned about his subordinate.

"...It's nothing."

Raven rubbed her head and shook it.

After taking a moment to recover, she casually waved her hand.

Instantly, a figure appeared behind her.

It was a girl dressed in purple ancient attire, her body crackling with lightning and her long purple hair tied into cat-ear-shaped buns.

She held an ancient longsword in her hand.

Most notably, the girl's figure appeared somewhat ethereal.

"This is...?"

Seeing this strange presence, Otto stroked his chin curiously.

Raven immediately checked the item's attributes.

【Thunder and Rain: Yuheng / Keqing】

【Category: Stand】

【Effect: You can summon Keqing as your Stand to assist you in battle.】

【Stand Ability 1: Lightning Like Me, Slicing Through Offal (You can command Keqing to wield her sword, creating a trail of sparks and lightning that ultimately inflicts a forced -1 damage on the enemy. Depending on the enemy type, this -1 damage may instead be converted into immunity.)】

【Stand Ability 2: Golden Shrimp Ball (You can cry, make a scene, and threaten suicide. After eating a Golden Shrimp Ball, your mental state will be restored to its optimal condition.)】

【Stand Ability 3: Overtime Requiem (When this ability touches an opponent, they will never reach the reality of leaving work.

They will enter overtime mode and never stop until the caster cancels the ability. The following words will constantly echo in their ears:

"If you waste too much time, you won't be able to finish your work."

"A balance between work and rest is good, but don't relax too much.")】

【Note: Keqing cannot tolerate her host being lazy. Whenever her host slacks off, she will actively cast Overtime Requiem on them.】

---

Chapter 249: Bronya Is Seriously Ill Today

"Aaaaaaah!"

A terrifying scream echoed through the Q&A Space from a certain black dodo.

Yeah, of course.

After all, while Ciora, codenamed Raven, was enthusiastic about taking on missions, it was only because she wanted to make more money and retire early.

Having previously traded an item for a large sum of money from her boss, Raven should have been able to prepare for retirement.

And that was exactly what she wanted to do.

Ta-da…

The appearance of this purple cat-headed Stand successfully changed the trajectory of Raven's life.

If the effect is truly as described, then Raven's acquitted sentence after serving a fixed term will likely be changed to life imprisonment.

"I want a refund!!!"

Filled with grief and indignation, Raven slammed her forehead against the ground. Her regretful wail echoed throughout the Q&A Space, making everyone's mood sink.

"My retirement life!"

She already had a villa and an island. Everything was perfect except for finding her other half.

Why did she still have to work overtime and work so hard?!

We're all from the same root, so why are we fighting each other so fiercely?!

Watching this scene, those around her couldn't help but sigh.

Even Tesla and Einstein, accustomed to working overtime and cutthroat competition, couldn't help but feel some sympathy for Raven.

At least they could decide when to rest and take a break after working overtime for hours.

But having been assigned a Stand like this, Raven would probably be on a relentless path of hard work for the rest of her life.

Theresa, a habitual slacker, breathed a deep sigh of relief.

Thank goodness she didn't get this Stand, otherwise how would she sneak peeks at her beloved Homu comics at work?!

In short, this was truly heartbreaking!

Of course, sympathy aside, everyone tacitly chose to keep their distance from Raven. Even Kevin, her boss, did so.

Even the Finality and Thunder team, who had been silent the whole time, quietly moved away.

You see, that so-called "Overtime Requiem" could be used on anyone who touched it.

If any of them got hit, they would definitely be devastated.

"It seems the items produced in this space aren't all as good as we imagined."

Hearing Welt's words, everyone immediately felt a chill and wholeheartedly agreed.

They really needed to be more careful.

If they ended up like Raven, paralyzed by such a devilish Stand, it would be really bad.

Just as everyone was trying to learn their lesson while Raven rolled around crying and wailing, the next question arrived:

[10. What is a rabbit's staple food?]

[A. The Invincible Golden Goose]

[B. The Chicken at the Village Entrance]

[C. The Tiger]

[D. The Spanish Duck]

"It seems like a very simple question."

Kiana crossed her arms and nodded naturally.

"Indeed," Wendy and Seele echoed.

"The question is indeed very simple."

Mei remained expressionless, then raised an eyebrow.

"But these answers... are clearly problematic!"

Looking at the increasingly bizarre options, Mei couldn't help but comment.

"Indeed, none of the options seem to fit a normal rabbit's diet."

Dumb Goose nodded earnestly in agreement, while Rita, standing beside her, couldn't help but remind her with a hint of helplessness.

"Um, Lady Bianka... the question asks about rabbits."

"Eh?"

Dumb Goose paused, glanced at the question again, suddenly realized it, and slapped her hand.

"Oh, it's about rabbits!"

Everyone was speechless.

Alright, you might as well stay quiet.

"I think the rabbit mentioned in the question doesn't refer to a normal rabbit."

Welt stroked his chin as he stared at the question and calmly said,

"After all, a proper rabbit's diet should consist of grass, vegetables, and other plant matter... but rabbits can also eat meat."

"Eh... rabbits can eat meat?!"

At this moment, both Silly Goose and Seele were shocked.

In their minds, cute creatures like rabbits should eat carrots.

Bronya stepped in, offering a quick explanation.

"...While rabbits are herbivores, they can also consume meat. Also... while carrots are nutritious, their high sugar content makes them unsuitable as a primary food source for rabbits."

She paused before adding with a nonchalant grin,

"By the way, Bronya prefers beets."

"Are you a rabbit too?!"

Tesla, barely able to contain himself, launched into a tirade.

"Hmm... bunnies actually eat meat, but Bronya Onee-chan likes beets... Bronya Onee-chan is cute, and bunnies are cute too, so Bronya Onee-chan equals a bunny!"

Seele, her cheeks flushed, spoke sweetly, prompting Tesla to fan himself with a sigh, utterly exasperated.

"Eek, a strange equation has appeared."

"Hmm, are carrots not suitable as a staple food? I quite like them."

Bianka looked regretful as she scratched her cheek.

"Are you a rabbit too?... No, you look more like a goose!?"

The complaint radar was triggered right on time, and Tesla, as the designated complaint provider, immediately followed up.

"Eh... I was just mentioning dietary habits... and geese and stuff. Calling me a goose, Dr. Tesla, is incredibly rude!"

Showing a certain respect for researchers, Bianka grumbled with considerable dissatisfaction.

This caused Tesla to freeze instantly. She clasped her hands together apologetically.

"Ah... sorry. There were just too many things to complain about, so I went along with it."

"Ah... our Dr. Tesla is trying very hard to make her point."

Seeing this, Einstein remained expressionless. A slight smile played on her lips as she solemnly uttered the words that infuriated Tesla.

"Mophead!!"

Just as Tesla's anger flared and she was about to unleash it...

Snap!

A crisp sound rang out.

The group turned toward the source.

Mei lowered her hand, her expression slightly helpless yet serious.

"Alright, let's save the animal documentaries and comedy shows for later. Right now, we need to focus on answering the question."

Tesla blushed slightly, then instinctively muttered a complaint before grabbing Seele's and Bianka's collars and unhesitatingly shifting the blame.

"It sounds like academics are the priority... cough, cough, no. These two were the ones who started this off-topic discussion! We were clearly analyzing things seriously at first!"

"...Anyway, let's get back to the point."

Joyce smiled helplessly before looking back at the question.

"Since all the answers are so unusual, then, as Yang said, the rabbit in the question is definitely not a real rabbit."

"Ein, what do you think?"

He looked at Einstein.

Einstein remained calm.

"I second that."

"Based on my deduction, this so-called rabbit is very likely a metaphor for someone."

"Why?"

Tesla also became serious, crossing her arms.

"The reason is the answers."

This time, Einstein didn't resort to guessing. Her calm, steady voice rang through everyone's ears as she directed their attention to the options.

"Option A, the Invincible Golden Goose, is an answer that has appeared before."

Himiko chimed in expressionlessly.

"But that's meaningless since it's basically used as a wrong answer or for comedic purposes."

"Indeed. However... in a way, this so-called Invincible Golden Goose should be a description of everyone present."

Einstein couldn't deny it. At the same time, she directed everyone's attention to Bianka.

"Eh? The Invincible Golden Goose? Me?"

Seeing everyone's eyes focused on her, Bianka pointed at herself in bewilderment.

"But I'm neither invincible nor golden, and I'm not a goose!"

Theresa looked up at Bianka with a haughty expression.

"Leaving aside the first two, the third one..."

Ahem.

At least Bianka was right about something.

"Besides Option A, there's also Option D..."

"Bronya."

Bronya's gaze locked onto Kiana, who had picked up where Einstein left off. A dangerous glint flashed in her gray eyes.

"Eh... Bronya, you don't mean Bronya Onee-chan, do you?!"

The perceptive Seele looked somewhat surprised.

"Why do you say that?"

Being the center of attention, Seele lowered her head and quietly explained,

"Well... because Bronya Onee-chan's name, 'Bronya,' has two pronunciations."

"If it's 'Bro-nya,' then it's Bronya, but if it's 'Bron-ya,' then it's 'Banya.' And 'Banya'... doesn't that sound like 'Spanish duck'?"

Although a little confused, Seele knew her favorite Bronya Onee-chan perfectly, even better than Bronya knew herself.

"That's a very reasonable interpretation... Speaking of which, in Russia, the name Bronya seems to mean..."

Tesla, who had spent some time in Russia, rested her chin on her hand as she recalled.

Einstein casually supplied the answer.

"A fighting bunny—or rather, an armored bunny."

"A bunny... Does that mean Bronya Onee-chan is the carnivorous bunny in the question?!"

Seemingly connecting it to the question, Wendy looked shocked.

Bronya playfully tapped her on the head and said in an annoyed tone,

"Bronya likes beets! And vodka!"

She added casually,

"...Minors can't drink alcohol!"

Mei sighed, somewhat exasperated.

"Isn't that the law in the Far East?"

Fu Hua sounded surprised.

Using Far Eastern law to govern Russians—you've got some nerve.

Mei coughed twice, pretending nothing had happened.

"...Ahem. According to Seele, the so-called rabbit in the question might actually be Bronya."

"However, the current issue isn't exploring the rabbit's true identity. We mainly need to consider what this rabbit eats."

"Beets."

Bronya remained expressionless.

"There are no beets."

"Beets!"

Bronya insisted.

Mei's forehead immediately creased with irritation.

She forced a smile.

"There are no beets."

"Then vodka?"

Bronya compromised.

Finally, Mei's patience snapped.

She grabbed Bronya by the neck, shaking her until Bronya's eyes rolled back and her pink tongue lolled out.

"Where did the vodka come from?! It's all meat! Be serious, Bronya! Since when did you become such a child?!"

She hissed in a low voice. The next moment, Mei suddenly remembered where she was. Looking up, she saw a crowd of shocked faces.

Especially her own father, who looked utterly astonished.

Realizing what had happened, Mei released Bronya, straightened her clothes, picked up her glasses from the floor, and coughed twice.

"Ahem... my apologies."

The next moment, she grabbed Bronya by the collar, pulled her close, and said angrily, word by word,

"Stop fooling around! Be serious, Bronya!"

"Eh-heh."

Bronya stuck out her tongue before returning to her usual expressionless face.

At this moment, Kiana, still stunned, leaned over and asked curiously,

"Hey, Bronya, what's wrong with you? You're acting like you forgot to take your medicine!"

You mean all those childish things? As if I'd ever do something like that myself.

As a normally aloof and emotionless loli, Bronya's behavior was truly bizarre.

"...I don't know. My head's spinning."

Bronya's cheeks flushed slightly.

Just now, she had suddenly felt her mind go blank, as though something strange had possessed her.

And just like that, she had gone from an emotionless loli to a silly loli.

Now that she thought back on everything she had just done...

Ugh, so embarrassing!

Bronya almost wanted to escape from Earth aboard Project Bunny.

Seele leaned closer and whispered softly into Bronya's ear.

"...It's strange. It's different from the usual Bronya Onee-chan, but... it's cute!"

Within Raiden Mei's body, in a silent, serene space—a veritable sanctuary— not only was the Herrscher of Thunder present, but also Black Seele, who had come for a visit.

"You noticed?"

The Herrscher of Thunder, seated with her hair down, spoke as she watched Black Seele approach.

Black Seele rolled her eyes irritably.

"Of course I did. Otherwise, why would I come?"

She then turned to the projection screen the Herrscher of Thunder used to observe the outside world.

Looking at Bronya, a hint of surprise and confusion appeared on her face.

"How come Big Sister has one too?"

"Isn't that normal?"

The Herrscher of Thunder scoffed.

"She's a Herrscher too. Albeit an acquired one, she's undoubtedly a true Herrscher of Reason now."

"Even compared to the original owner outside, there's no difference."

Naturally, she was referring to Joyce.

"What does that have to do with Herrschers? My girl isn't a Herrscher, and my older sister is already a Herrscher who's kicked down the door. That youngest Honkai brat can't even connect to the network."

Black Seele crossed her arms, plopped down on the ground, and complained,

"It's so hard! Don't you have anything to sit on?"

"Are you stupid? A consciousness doesn't have physical sensations."

The Herrscher of Thunder sounded speechless, but she still conjured a bench made of lightning with a wave of her hand.

Black Seele glanced at the bench, pouted, then reluctantly sat down with a sigh.

"I wonder whether this person's appearance is a blessing or a curse."

"Isn't she quite adorable?"

The Herrscher of Thunder seemed unconcerned before speaking in a slightly more relaxed tone.

"You and your other personality both like Bronya, don't you? Perfect. Now each of you has one. No need to fight over her."

Black Seele looked somewhat tempted but still waved her hand arrogantly.

"Tch, forget it..."

"She's still a long way from being born, just a budding prospect. It's better to look forward to the one next door than to her."

"Indeed."

---

Chapter 250: You're so awesome!

"Ahem, let's get back to the point."

Einstein coughed twice, then held up one index finger. "So, what does the rabbit in the question eat?"

"Aren't we discussing the correct answer?" Wendy tilted her head, somewhat puzzled.

"...It doesn't matter. It doesn't matter. That's the gist of it, so no need to overthink it."

Einstein froze, waved her hand, then resumed her serious demeanor and said earnestly.

"Given that option A refers to Durandal, and option D refers to Bronya, and we've guessed that the rabbit in the question might be Bronya, find..."

"Mophead, have you absorbed the math problem into your brain?"

Tesla couldn't help but retort. Then she crossed her arms and said rather speechlessly:

"Option D is Bronya, and the question is still about Bronya. Are you planning to have Bronya eat herself?"

Hearing this, Seele tilted her head back, resting her chin on her hand, and imagined it for a moment. It was roughly like...

A giant pot of Bronya Onee-chan stewing inside, with another Bronya Onee-chan squatting outside and playing games.

She shook her head violently, dismissing this bizarre image, and forced a smile.

"...This doesn't seem right, does it?"

"Actually, it's not impossible."

At this moment, Otto's voice rang out, drawing everyone's attention to Otto's confident and composed face.

Even though it was already considered over, Tesla, who still didn't get along with Otto and held a grudge, looked at him with disdain, made no attempt to hide her malice, and said unhappily:

"Are you still asleep? How can she eat herself?! Are there two Bronyas?"

Otto didn't seem to care. He smiled calmly and said lightly:

"Why can't there be two Bronyas?"

Tesla instinctively wanted to retort, but then something occurred to her.

She glanced at the intimidating Kiana.

If you considered the Kiana present and Kiana together, then it could indeed be said that there were two Kianas.

But... Tesla, who knew Kiana well, naturally wouldn't confuse the two.

"She..."

Tesla wanted to argue, but she wasn't without emotional intelligence.

Moreover, Otto's point wasn't actually about whether there were two Kianas present.

Rather, it referred to the nature of that Kiana.

"I see. If we consider characters from parallel worlds, then it's indeed possible to have two Bronyas simultaneously."

Fu Hua nodded, while Otto undeniably let the corner of his mouth curl into a smile.

Indeed, he wanted to steer the conversation toward the perspective of parallel worlds.

But...

"Heh."

Otto's laughter sounded like smugness to Tesla, causing her to turn her head away in annoyance.

"But isn't the key question what rabbits actually eat?"

Faced with Himeko's confusion, Einstein coughed twice.

"...At least, this tells us that Bronya can eat Bronya."

Himeko's forehead was covered in a huge question mark.

What is this?

After analyzing for so long, the result is that it adds the possibility of Bronya eating herself to the answer?

"I think the correct answer should be C."

Recovering from her grief, Raven wiped away her tears and gave her opinion.

C?

Everyone looked at the option.

【C. Tiger】

Then, a look of disbelief fell on Raven.

They'd only ever heard of tigers eating rabbits. Where did this rabbit-eating-tiger thing come from?

The food chain is all messed up.

"This rabbit isn't even a normal breed!"

Raven, keenly aware of the malicious gazes, loudly complained.

"Indeed, it's Bronya Onee-chan," Seele nodded in deep agreement, then proudly displayed the orphanage's best nutrition:

"If it's Bronya Onee-chan, she might even be able to beat a bear!"

"A hundred!" Bronya confidently raised one finger, quite fittingly.

Whether it's a tiger or a bear, she can take on a hundred!

"...Herrschers have fallen so low that they have to use bears as opponents?"

Former Herrscher of Reason Joyce couldn't help but feel a pang of sadness upon hearing this.

The dignified Herrscher of Reason, only able to fight a hundred bears? This is clearly a sign of decline.

"You should at least consider Ganesha as a basic opponent. The Herrscher core is crying, you bastard."

"Ahem, the discussion now isn't about whether a rabbit can beat a tiger, but about the answer."

Mei coughed twice, feeling that the topic had veered off course again, and tried to steer it back. But Seele scratched her cheek and weakly said:

"But if a rabbit can beat a tiger, then it can eat the tiger, right?"

Damn, you make a good point. I can't refute you.

For a fleeting moment, this thought crossed Mei's mind.

Feeling a little tired, she raised her hand and muttered, "Let's each choose our own."

If this continues, the very foundation might be obliterated, so the simplest way is indeed to ignore it and choose for ourselves.

Everyone naturally agreed.

This selection process is... a quick-response question.

The winner is...

"With the name Bronya, victory is only natural~"

Bronya said this with a nonchalant smile, flashing a peace sign.

As a seasoned gamer, her auto-clicking speed is no joke.

Well, in short, Bronya is the clear winner.

"Correct answer. Bronya chooses the tiger! The rabbit eats the tiger!"

Although she inexplicably wanted to choose beets, since there were no beets and she didn't want to eat herself—being silly—so, for various reasons, Bronya decided she should eat a tiger.

As for right or wrong...

Just say "Hey hey!"

[Correct answer!]

"You actually got it right."

"I'm so shocked!" the silly goose exclaimed.

"I want to see how this rabbit eats the tiger."

Himeko, chin in hand, watched the unfolding image with great curiosity.

The futuristic city was revealed on screen, superficially resembling the descriptions of the future in movies and games.

However, what was intriguing was the giant, bowl-shaped canopy surrounding the city—perhaps a barrier, or perhaps a cage?

The city was illuminated by dazzling neon lights, exuding an air of extravagance and luxury.

Quietly observing all this, a girl wearing a hood resembling rabbit ears sat at the alley entrance, looking utterly bored, her exposed pale legs visible.

Pink neon lights illuminated the girl's face, allowing everyone to see the face hidden by the hood.

Gray eyes, a delicate nose, and skin as smooth as milk—the youthful innocence was undeniably familiar to everyone watching.

"Is this the rabbit from the title?"

Cecilia rested her chin on her hand, looking at the girl in the image with considerable curiosity.

Seele blushed, cupping her slightly flushed cheeks. "The other Bronya Onee-chan is so cute too."

Bronya glanced at the "rabbit" in the image, and the corners of her lips unconsciously twitched.

"Tch."

Seele tilted her head, looking puzzled. "What's wrong, Bronya Onee-chan?"

"Nothing."

Bronya, looking utterly relaxed, withdrew her wandering gaze.

"...Those legs."

Kiana looked at the "rabbit" girl in the image, somewhat concerned.

"You mean that, right?" Mei glanced at it without hesitation and said calmly, "She doesn't have exoskeleton armor on her legs."

"But that's normal. After all, it's a parallel world different from ours. Bronya in that world didn't suffer a similar ordeal, so it's understandable that she's physically and mentally intact..."

She continued explaining Bronie's unusual behavior. Kiana scratched her cheek, a little embarrassed, and spoke quite frankly.

"I just wanted to say they're so white."

Mei froze.

She glanced up at Bronie on the screen, her eyes immediately catching sight of those long, white legs, then expressionlessly swept her gaze over Kiana, who was swallowing hard.

"Kiana... you..."

A soft voice whispered in Kiana's ear, seeming calm yet sending a chill down her spine.

"Bang!"

No sooner said than done.

A scream echoed through the Q&A space.

"Oh dear, my silly daughter, please excuse the spectacle."

Cecilia smiled gently, and of course... it was best to ignore her lowered hand.

Seele breathed a sigh of relief and released Bronya Onee-chan, but still gave Kiana, who was clutching her head, a wary look.

Bronya Onee-chan is mine! And the other Bronya Onee-chan too!

Bronya, now released, blushed slightly, seemingly unconcerned that Kiana was eyeing her from another world.

So soft in Seele's arms~

Meanwhile, in the scene, the "rabbit," after waiting idly for a while, finally saw her target.

Holding a gray umbrella and carrying a safe, the newcomer was...

"Gray Serpent?"

Tesla glanced at the man, then at Gray Serpent, who remained motionless beside Kevin.

But turned back to the video.

"I am Gray Serpent."

"Heh, you're quite punctual."

The "rabbit" girl, labeled Bronie, chuckled easily, teasing Gray Serpent after his introduction.

Gray Serpent's hoarse, deep voice, like that of an old machine, resonated through the screen, reaching everyone's ears.

"Not exactly on time. I arrived four minutes and fifteen seconds early."

The girl named Bronie chuckled, looking down at the "Snake Eyes" information broker, half-sarcastically and half-appreciatively:

"Ha, interesting! Is this the 'professional' level of you Snake Eyes? It's certainly much better than those street vendors!"

"Miss Bronie, you flatter me. Providing 'raw meat' that best suits our customers' tastes is a requirement of 'Snake Eyes,' not something we strive for."

Gray Serpent's voice paused somewhat unnaturally.

"I hope today's 'raw meat' is enough to repay Miss Bronie for your 37 minutes and eight seconds of waiting."

This answer caused a flash of displeasure and sharpness in Bronie's gray eyes. She stared at Gray Serpent, snorted coldly, and questioned him rudely:

"Hmph, is monitoring your customers' every move considered standard conduct for 'Snake Eyes'?"

"For the past half hour, haven't you been monitoring my movements, Miss Bronie?"

Gray Serpent wasn't intimidated. Instead, he calmly stated in his hoarse, deep voice:

"However, during the time you were paying attention to 'Snake Eyes'... and paying attention to me, 'Snake' had already completed its mission."

"Wow! You're really amazing~ Should I give you a round of applause?"

A hint of shock and admiration appeared on her pretty face hidden beneath her bunny ears and hat. With an exaggerated tone, the girl named Bronie used slightly over-the-top acting to be sarcastic and irritating while simultaneously venting her inner displeasure.

“Bronya from that world seems to have more personality than I imagined.”

Theresa stroked her chin, somewhat wistfully.

Einstein nodded in agreement.

“Indeed, compared to the Bronya we know, this Bronya in the picture... or rather, Bronie, seems to have a more distinct and lively personality.”

...Of course, that excludes her earlier state of not having taken her meds.

Seele, on the other hand, clenched her hands a little shyly, her cheeks slightly flushed, and said rather earnestly and weakly:

“She’s not the Bronya Onee-chan I imagined... but that Bronya Onee-chan... Bronie is quite charming too!”

Hearing this, Bronya glanced expressionlessly at Bronie on the screen, and looking at that face, she suddenly felt a little uncomfortable.

"...There's a strange sense of familiarity about her."

Raven crossed her arms, quite interested in the Bronie on the screen.

For some reason, she could find many things in common with her.

...Yes, the kind of partner who gets along very well.

“But what does 'Snake Eyes' mean...?” Raven stroked her chin, quite puzzled. “Does that world also have a World Serpent?”

"...The World Serpent was an organization created to defeat the Honkai. If that world is also plagued by the Honkai, it wouldn't be surprising to see an organization similar to the World Serpent emerge."

Su slowly replied.

"Snakes are creatures that don't fear death, so using them as an organization name is perfectly normal."

Beside Otto, Rita, a Valkyrie specializing in human combat, had concerns different from those of the others.

"Hmph, Miss Bronya from that world also possesses considerable experience."

She chuckled, marveling at the clash between Gray Serpent and Bronie on the screen.

Although it was only a few words,

Rita, as someone in the know, could already sense the sharpness hidden beneath the surface of his words.

"Heh."

The man let out a rather eerie laugh, or rather, a hiss like a snake flicking its tongue.

The girl named Bronie glanced at him unhappily and took the box from his hand.

That hoarse, deep voice, like an old machine, sounded in her ear:

"Please sign on the four-dimensional circular electronic board, Miss Bronie."

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