AQK 251-260 (Patreon)

Sorry, fell asleep.

Chapter 251: Haven't You Ever Seen a Rabbit That Eats a Tiger?

“Yes, that’s the location it’s showing right now.”

Bronie removed her gloves, preparing to sign her own custom source code. But just then, the flashing characters suddenly flickered violently and disappeared.

Bronie wasn’t too surprised by this. Instead, she looked up at the waiting Gray Serpent.

“According to Appendix One, I can choose to ‘unfreeze’ now.”

“Of course. Everything is as you wish, Miss Bronie.”

Gray Serpent remained noncommittal, his voice hoarse as he cautioned,

“However, I must remind you that, according to Article Three of Appendix Two, all risks during the ‘unfreezing’ period will be borne solely by you, esteemed Miss Bronie.”

Hearing this, Bronie waved her hand impatiently and spoke casually.

“I know. Points Three through Five were added at my request.”

“Although you Snake Eyes are always very reliable, I can't be completely at ease without personally inspecting the quality of this 'meat.'”

She said this, but Gray Serpent didn't seem to mind her caution. Instead, he praised her.

“You're very careful. It's good for all of us.”

In the scene, Bronie placed her hand on the disc in the center of the box. Then a series of mechanical clicking sounds rang out, like intricate locks being unlocked one by one.

Everything was silent, seemingly waiting for the reassuring "click" of the box springing open.

But nothing happened. Only the girl's fingertips—or rather, the space a few millimeters in front of them—were illuminated.

A silent stream of information danced between her fingertips. In her vision, countless intricate details rapidly coalesced into visual images before vanishing again.

“A visual interactive demo map... this is what they prepared for their clients...”

Bronie muttered casually while reviewing the necessary information and intelligence.

“Stationary duty checks, distribution of monitoring terminals and auxiliary positioning points...”

“Alarm records and optimization reports for the last three months, analysis of alarm thresholds and levels...”

The boundless stream of information finally illuminated the darkness beneath the hood, revealing an unconscious upward curve at the corners of the girl's lips.

Having reviewed the entire scene, Bronya offered a calm assessment.

“A master.”

She herself was considered a top-tier hacker. Although the other party's equipment was clearly technologically inferior to what she had encountered before, the ease and skill with which the hacker moved and the composure with which they cracked the security all indicated that they were remarkably skilled.

“Is that the so-called 'meat'?” Siegfried asked, somewhat puzzled.

“What's the point of getting that stuff?”

The intelligence Bronie had accessed was incomprehensible to a layman like Siegfried.

“Just jargon.”

Tesla, equally adept at this, waved her hand dismissively.

“As for the purpose... probably trying to hack into some organization's building.”

“Understanding the internal layout, the distribution of personnel and surveillance facilities, and the security records... indeed, it fits the preliminary procedures for infiltrating a fortified position.”

As a Valkyrie specializing in human combat and assassination, Rita nodded slightly in agreement.

This was basically the procedure she followed when undertaking similar infiltration missions.

Bronya curled her lip.

Scouting enemy intelligence, my ass.

In the past, when carrying out infiltration and assassination missions like this, she basically only knew the target's appearance and personal information, mainly to avoid killing the wrong person.

As for building layouts, personnel distribution, and surveillance rosters, forget about it. If you wanted that information, you had to gather it yourself. The client wouldn't be that considerate.

Of course, this was also related to the environment Bronya had been in at the time.

Even after earning the infamous reputation of the Ural Silver Wolves, Bronya had been more like a killing machine than a human being, someone who felt no remorse over the deaths she caused.

During this time, Bronie skillfully made several hand gestures on the disc in the video. The projected sphere recorded dozens of encrypted input messages at different points.

—Signature complete.

Having done what she needed to do, she looked up at the waiting Gray Serpent, satisfaction showing in her eyes.

“It was definitely worth the risk... What you provided was indeed the best 'meat' I wanted most.”

“Hmm... a good deal.”

Bronie gave a concise summary of the transaction.

And regarding this...

“Hmm. Indeed, it’s a good deal.”

The man in black repeated her words, seemingly unintentionally, with a hint of amusement in his voice.

A group of fully armed street thugs suddenly sprang out from the surrounding alleyways.

They were all wearing jackets embroidered with tiger heads, but each of them looked unique. Some had neon tubes embedded in their clothing, some had twisted circuit boards attached to them, and one even looked as though he had been painted on.

“These are... street thugs?”

Looking at this group of clearly unconventional shady characters, Cecilia couldn’t help but be surprised.

“Is it a coincidence?”

In the dark corners of the metropolis, after completing a transaction, she was targeted by thugs planning to rob her. Cecilia, with her vivid imagination, had already conjured up the plot of a ten-thousand-word novel.

Raiden Ryoma sighed as he watched the scene unfold.

“It's clearly not a coincidence. Judging by their aggressive approach, they're definitely after someone.”

When it came to petty thugs and other illegal organizations, the Far East, where he came from, was particularly notorious.

As the president of MEI Corp., he was naturally well aware of the situation surrounding these figures in the gray areas of society.

Himiko stroked her chin.

“Then they're probably after Bronie. After all, that Gray Serpent seems to be an information broker.”

Businessmen naturally didn't want to offend either side, but Bronie was different. The strange sarcastic aura she sometimes exuded made people want to punch her.

Sure enough...

“Men, keep a close eye on her! That little brat is incredibly cunning!”

The gang leader glared at Bronie, who was sitting on the railing and casually swinging her legs.

The thug beside the leader was unimpressed.

“Heh, this isn't online! With so many of us blocking her way, do you think she'll get away?”

“○○○ This is unbelievable! Didn't I... believe it when those Snake Eyes guys told me... The most famous hacker in the underworld, 'Haxxor Bunny,' is actually such a young girl?!”

Another thug stared at Bronie's youthful and innocent appearance in shock.

“Hmph. Both sides' transactions weren't delayed. Indeed, a good deal. So, how much is my information worth? I'm quite curious about my price.”

Bronie ignored the shouting thugs. She simply looked at the waiting Gray Serpent with a calm expression, let out a cold snort to express her displeasure, and then asked with a hint of curiosity,

“Sorry, that's a trade secret. I can only tell you this: not much, but not little either.”

Gray Serpent's answer was unsurprising. It had only been a spur-of-the-moment question. Bronie pursed her lips and sighed.

“Fine. If you don't want to say it, that's fine... I'm not going to pay for my own life anyway.”

“Thank you for your understanding, Miss Bronie.”

Gray Serpent's hoarse voice rang in everyone's ears.

Seeing this, Tesla sincerely remarked,

“Good heavens... so this guy sold Bronie out.”

Normally, you could only sell one piece of information.

But Gray Serpent had not only sold Bronie's information, he had also sold where Bronie would appear.

That was some serious manipulation.

“A shrewd businessman.”

Seele muttered unhappily.

In her eyes, the Bronya Onee-chan of another world was still Bronya Onee-chan, and Seele naturally wouldn't have a good attitude toward Gray Serpent's practice of selling information while ripping people off.

In the scene, Bronie forced a smile after hearing the response, a hint of displeasure flashing through her eyes.

“Huh? Who understands you? If it weren't for this 'meat' today...”

But before she could voice her displeasure, the already impatient thugs were clearly angered by Bronie's habit of ignoring them and carrying on with her conversation.

“○○○... You're never going to stop chatting, are you?! Fine, Snake Eyes. If you don't want to leave, then you're not leaving today!”

The gang leader cursed, interrupting Bronie's unfinished words, making no attempt to hide the arrogance of someone from the gray underworld.

He raised his hand, ruthlessly preparing to give the order.

“All of you, get them! Don't let a single one escape! I'll take responsibility if you kill them...”

“I said, you lot...”

A slightly deep, helpless voice rang in the ears of both the thugs and the audience. In the scene, Bronie pulled down her bunny-ear hood.

This abrupt change startled the gang leader, but he quickly regained his composure and sneered.

“What? Now you know you're in the wrong and want to beg for mercy? Too late!”

Unfortunately, what they got wasn't the expected scene of the other party crying and begging.

The bunny-eared hooded girl, who had remained calm throughout, picked at the ear hidden beneath her hood with her little finger, revealing an expression of annoyance.

“Don't talk so loudly. It hurts my ears. What do you want with Bronie? Speak properly. Speak slowly. Understand?”

“You... you're playing dumb with me?”

Whether it was because the expected scene hadn't appeared or because of Bronie's dismissive attitude, the gang leader's face darkened with anger as he blurted out,

“The fight our boss had with the Taixu Gang—wasn't it you, you little brat, who filmed it and uploaded it to the next work?!”

A look of realization dawned on Bronie's face.

“Oh, I see. So you guys are from the Tiger Head Gang!”

This scene was shown on the screen.

“Sounds like some third-rate gang from a movie, the kind of cannon fodder that dies within three scenes...”

Upon learning the thugs' background, Theresa felt a sense of déjà vu and subconsciously made a sarcastic remark. Then she focused on the information they had revealed.

“But the Taixu Gang really does exist.”

It had appeared among the previous Q&A options.

Recalling Fu Hua's attitude toward the so-called Taixu Gang, Theresa couldn't help but speculate as she looked at Fu Hua.

“Speaking of which, could the leader of this Taixu Gang be you, Fu Hua?”

Fu Hua twitched the corner of her mouth.

“Probably.”

Although it was only a guess and hadn't been confirmed.

“But with a name as distinctly Shenzhou as Taixu Sect, it would be strange if it had nothing to do with me.”

Siegfried stroked his chin, seemingly thinking of something.

“If Miss Fu Hua is involved... then according to what that thug said, wouldn't that mean...”

The Tiger Head Gang and the Taixu Sect had fought.

The Tiger Head Gang was a gang of thugs...

Then the Taixu Gang...

This...

“Could it be that the Taixu in that world is also...”

Kiana couldn't help twitching her lips, her mind conjuring up an image of Fu Hua dressed like a Tiger Head Gang member, carrying a baseball bat, sucking on a lollipop, wearing sunglasses, and collecting protection money everywhere.

At that moment, Book of Fuxi stepped forward and declared firmly.

“Impossible! My immortal would never stoop that low!”

“If you ask me, given my immortal’s personality, she would at least be... wearing a cloth headband, dressed in simple clothes, carrying a large sword, and bearing a scar on her face...”

Book of Fuxi described an image that made Fu Hua’s face darken.

That somehow sounded even worse than a street thug.

Hearing these descriptions, Raven was speechless.

“Dreaming back to ancient Shenzhou, huh? Is your immortal some kind of bandit...?”

“Master couldn't possibly be a bandit!”

Water's Edge, defending her own Master after slacking off for so long, immediately retorted to Book of Fuxi before saying seriously,

“With Master's abilities, she should at least be a notorious thief!”

...Wasn't that still a thief?!

While Fu Hua's blood pressure soared because of her own ELF,

Bronie glanced at the disheveled, mismatched thugs on the screen and exclaimed in a shocked, awe-inspired tone,

“But aren't the Tiger Head Gang supposed to embroider tigers on their bodies? Why are you all... embroidering cats? I almost didn't recognize you!”

“...You!!”

This retort nearly gave the gang leader a heart attack, leaving him speechless with rage.

Before he could unleash a torrent of curses, Bronie pressed her advantage with a friendly smile.

“Hey, don't be angry, don't be angry. I made the video for your own good, understand? OK?”

“Your boss's own Cyber True Fist tutorial video has been out for months, and it hasn't gotten a single view~”

Amid the gangsters' increasingly grim expressions, Bronie chuckled exaggeratedly.

“The video I made for you guys got over 100,000 views in one night... Hey, seriously, shouldn't you settle your advertising fees with me before we talk about anything else?”

“Oh, right. By the way, how's your boss doing in the hospital? How about I waive the advertising fee and let him use it for his medical expenses?”

Her demeanor was perfectly normal, all smiles, but every word that came out of her mouth dripped with sarcasm.

The gang leader, rendered speechless with rage, was momentarily at a loss for words and even briefly thought, "Yeah, right." But this was ultimately nothing more than Bronie's sophistry and mockery.

The leader, whose intelligence was still functioning normally, burst into a tirade, pointed at Bronie, and shouted angrily.

“You... you... that was a sneak peek! It was unauthorized filming!... No, it was malicious editing! Spreading rumors!”

But...

Bronie didn't respond.

She had her fill of fun.

She looked up at the silent man in black, Gray Serpent.

“You guys are enjoying the show, huh?”

“Heh, who knows?”

With a low, hoarse laugh, the information broker named Gray Serpent uttered his final words.

“Until we meet again, little bunny. Bless.”

“Hey, don't be in such a hurry to leave.”

Seeing that the culprit who had caused her so much trouble—the middleman—was about to slip away, Bronie's swinging leg came to a stop.

A cold yet helpless voice rang in everyone's ears.

“If you're going to watch the show, watch it to the very end.”

“Hey, boss... I bet this girl's all right, right? I heard she used to be in Tai...”

This sudden change, as though she had become a completely different person, made the more timid thugs uneasy. But the leader merely cursed irritably.

“What a coward! Have you ever seen a tiger afraid of a rabbit?! Aren't you afraid of being laughed at by the underworld?”

But just then...

Bronie leaped down from the railing. An illusory gun gradually materialized in her hand.

“What?”

Looking at the thugs, who had already lost their earlier arrogance, the bunny-eared hooded girl named Bronie stood against the pink neon screen behind her.

“You haven't seen...”

She casually tossed a piece of candy into her mouth. As the electronic music began to play, she spoke each word with complete nonchalance.

“—A rabbit that eats tigers?”

---

Chapter 252: I Will Never Clash with a "Hero"!

"Those thugs are really pathetic."

Wendy rested her chin on her hand, a hint of pity flashing in her eyes. This made Seele pause and tilt her head in complete bewilderment, unable to understand.

"Those thugs were clearly bad guys trying to attack Bronya Onee-chan from another world. What's so pathetic about them?"

Seele was kind, but if someone dared to harm what she cared about most, even kind-hearted Seele wouldn't hold back.

Wendy glanced casually at the dusty scene, somewhat amused.

"Indeed, but those thugs are clearly just minor characters in a game, like monsters or random extras. As villainous mobs, they have their reasons for trying to collect a debt, but they're rendered speechless by a few arguments. Don't you think those thugs are pathetic?"

When people think of thugs, they usually imagine unreasonable, reckless people who rely solely on violence and other despicable means to oppress others.

But these thugs, when faced with Bronie's questions, actually answered honestly. After being refuted and mocked, they could only stammer in response.

"I think Bronie is more imposing than those thugs."

Wendy's words naturally earned her a chop to the neck, though the force wasn't great. It was more of an expression of dissatisfaction.

"Not funny at all."

Bronya responded expressionlessly to Wendy, who was clutching her head.

What did she mean by "more imposing than those thugs"? Was she saying that the Bronya from another world was even more of a thug than those thugs?

"That Miss Bronie is definitely more impressive than Bronya."

Cecilia touched the corner of her mouth as she compared the two.

"Hmm, she has a kind of free-spirited... unrestrained feeling."

Einstein nodded calmly. However, more than the first impression the other person gave her, something else was on her mind as she spoke softly.

"That just now... it really was..."

"The power of the Herrscher of Reason."

The former Herrscher of Reason, Welt, picked up where Einstein left off, confirming her thoughts.

Bronie's ability to materialize things from nothingness was undoubtedly the signature ability of the Herrscher of Reason.

"...That Bronie is also a Herrscher of Reason?!" Kiana asked in surprise.

"Probably."

Mei, however, wasn't too surprised. She remained calm and rational as she spoke.

"That's not surprising. After all, it's a different world."

Similar Herrschers had appeared in previous images, such as Welt, who killed and destroyed everything, or even "herself" and "Kiana." They were all examples.

Bronya received her reward.

After a burst of golden light, Himeko looked at the conspicuous, box-shaped appliance and exclaimed in surprise.

"This is... an oven?!"

"Judging from the outside, it definitely looks like an oven."

As a mechanical expert, Tesla proactively examined it for a moment. She then opened the oven door, peeked inside, and nodded in confirmation.

"Yes, confirmed. It really is an oven!"

"Strange... this box isn't for Mei's, is it?" Theresa crossed her arms, looking somewhat puzzled.

These words immediately made a vein pop on Mei's forehead.

What did she mean by saying the box wasn't hers?

Did she mean only Mei could receive kitchen utensils?

Feeling both helpless and annoyed, Mei spoke irritably.

"Headmistress, that sounds like you're subtly persecuting me."

"Hahaha."

Scratching the back of her head, Theresa chuckled awkwardly, trying to brush it off.

Bronya, somewhat bewildered, opened the oven's item description.

Then...

[Hanser]

[Bronya Zaychik's mother, in a way]

[Effect: Ingredients placed in this oven will skip the cooking process and directly produce the finished result.]

[Note: There is a chance that Aunt Hanser's special background music will play while cooking with this oven.]

After reading the item's description, Kiana looked up at Bronya and instinctively asked.

"Bronya, is your mom an oven?!"

Bronya's face instantly darkened.

Your mom is an oven! Your whole family are ovens!!

Meanwhile, Seele was equally incredulous, stammering.

"...Bronya Onee-chan's... mother is an oven!"

If Bronya Onee-chan's mother was an oven, then Bronya Onee-chan was... an oven that had come to life?!

In an instant, Seele's mind conjured up the image of a large oven holding hands with a smaller oven that had twin drill curls.

"In a sense! Just in a sense! Although Bronya doesn't even remember what her mother looks like, she definitely couldn't be an oven!!"

To defend humanity's dignity and avoid the absurd accusation that ovens could become spirits, Bronya argued with unusual agitation.

She stomped her foot in frustration and shouted angrily, "Why would an oven have a name?!"

Seeing her usually composed student react so emotionally for the first time, Himeko couldn't help finding it amusing. Then something suddenly occurred to her.

"Hmm... speaking of that name, it seems to have appeared among the items Bronya received before."

She was referring to the accessory Bronya always carried, which granted her some of the Herrscher of Reason's powers.

However, Himeko's reminder only darkened Bronya's expression even further.

This topic always irritated her.

The accessory's abilities were quite useful, but the awkward part was its side effect.

—It came with its own background music whenever it was used.

Kiana had laughed at her more than once while she practiced in places like the Memorial Arena.

"That damn Hanser! Bronya will remember you!"

Bronya gritted her teeth and scribbled the name into her little notebook.

The embarrassing background music during battles had already been bad enough, and now it was even claiming to be her mother.

If it weren't for the Q&A Space's restrictions, she would have summoned Project Bunny and smashed that infuriating Hanser to pieces!

"Mei-neechan, Hanser is yours!"

Thinking that out of sight meant out of mind, Bronya decided to give the troublesome oven to Mei.

Mei froze and couldn't help twitching her lips.

Fine. So Bronya was going to embarrass her without even realizing it.

"No... this oven has no soul."

Mei politely declined, which was, in fact, the truth.

From a cook's perspective, an oven that skipped the cooking process was certainly convenient.

However, cooking involved many subtle details that required careful adjustments. Skipping every step, regardless of the final quality, would definitely rob cooking of its enjoyment.

Of course, Mei's refusal didn't mean no one else wanted it.

Seele stepped forward eagerly and spoke earnestly.

"If Bronya Onee-chan doesn't want it, then Seele will take it! Seele wants it!"

Seele was also seriously developing into a chef-type character, so naturally she wouldn't let such a magical kitchen appliance slip away.

Of course, the more important reason was the oven itself... ahem.

During the event, the eleventh question appeared.

【11. In Elysian Realm, Mei sensed Su's Active Honkai Reaction as a MANTIS from Sakura's words. Which of the following is it?】

【A. Peacock】【B. Pig】【C. Snake】【D. Bird】

Judging from the question, it seemed to be a very simple one.

It also related to the topic of the Elysian Realm.

But...

"Active Honkai Reaction of a MANTIS? What's that?"

Seeing this unfamiliar term, Kiana couldn't help feeling puzzled.

Su, Kevin, and even Fu Hua, who knew what it was, all had mixed expressions.

Finally, Fu Hua slowly spoke.

"That's MANTIS's ultimate weapon."

"...Hmm, so it's like the ultimate move or trump card used to turn the tide, right?"

Theresa clapped her hands, immediately thinking of the super moves that appeared in games, anime, and movies.

"Yes... and no."

Su sighed.

"MANTIS is, in essence, the product of fusing human genes with those of Honkai beasts."

"And the so-called 'Active Honkai Reaction,' as the name suggests, is the deliberate awakening of the Honkai beast within us."

The rest needed little explanation. With the intelligence of those present, they could easily infer the rest.

"...This is what's called exchanging reason for power."

Hearing Himeko's words, Fu Hua couldn't help smiling bitterly.

Those who underwent this state entered their most berserk state.

During that period, there was no distinction between friend and foe. Everyone became an enemy.

The only thing that remained safe was oneself.

The price was the safety of everyone nearby.

"Hmph, it's just a Honkai beast form. With the Lord's greatness, it's nothing."

Jackal, fanatically devoted to Kevin, looked disdainful and completely confident.

Her words immediately attracted everyone's attention, drawing their gazes toward Kevin.

As far as they knew, Kevin was the strongest MANTIS of the Previous Era.

If anyone could overcome the side effects of man-made collapse, it would probably be him.

Kevin answered decisively.

"I can't."

Su and Fu Hua were not surprised.

The uncontrollability of that form had already been proven countless times.

Even Kevin, the former strongest, was no exception.

Jackal, who had confidently boasted about her Lord, was instantly made to look foolish.

"So, what is your Active Honkai Reaction?"

Otto went straight to the point, smiling as he asked Su the key question.

The other questions required further analysis.

This one did not.

The answer lay with Su himself.

To know what his Active Honkai Reaction was, they only needed to ask.

"..."

Su remained silent for a moment, looking somewhat conflicted.

Even with his easygoing personality, he was reluctant to reveal his Active Honkai Reaction so casually.

But...

There was no point in hiding it.

Even if he refused to answer, it would eventually be revealed. Kevin and Hua already knew how he had "fallen from grace."

If asked again later, he would still have to explain.

Having reached that conclusion, Su sighed and slowly answered.

"It's a peacock."

Upon hearing his answer, Otto smiled.

"It certainly suits your image."

Before asking directly, he had naturally considered all the possible answers.

Among them, the peacock, symbolizing intelligence, peace, and kindness, clearly suited this gentle Flame-Chaser perfectly.

"Since the question concerns you, it's only natural for you to answer it."

The competition over the answer was already decided. Although Otto desperately wanted the reward, he smiled and gestured toward Su with open hands.

His amiable and gentle demeanor would make anyone unfamiliar with his true nature believe he was a genuinely kind person.

"...I choose A."

As composed as ever, Su closed his eyes and calmly gave his answer.

He ignored Otto completely, for after observing him for so long, Su had already seen through the true nature of the tragic and pitiful man before him.

【Correct Answer!】

An image of the Elysian Realm appeared before everyone.

It was the same familiar place and the same familiar figure—Raiden Mei, who had left Kiana and joined World Serpent out of love, becoming the Herrscher of Thunder.

Standing opposite her was a figure with cherry blossom-colored hair, fox ears, casual clothes, and a pair of headphones around her neck.

The moment everyone at St. Freya saw her, they were startled.

"Isn't that Miss Sakura who stole Otto's fiancée?!"

Kiana rubbed her eyes in surprise before confirming she wasn't mistaken.

Otto merely smiled, unconcerned.

He had long known of the existence of the Flame-Chaser Sakura and had even used her data in his carefully planned Kallen Fantasy.

Amid the shock and realization of some viewers, Mei looked at Sakura and asked directly.

"Sakura... you once said that the enemies you faced... included humans?"

"..."

The question seemed to touch a painful memory, leaving Sakura silent.

Eventually, she admitted it softly before asking somewhat strangely.

"It was only for a certain period of time. Why... are you suddenly interested in this?"

"...Sorry. I didn't mean anything by it. I just heard some rumors about you, so I was a little curious."

Hearing Mei's apology, Sakura rested her chin on her hand as though she had expected it.

"Are you referring to the 'Forget-Me-Not' rumors?"

However, she had guessed wrong.

"Forget-Me-Not? No... I'm curious whether that so-called 'humans' includes Flame-Chasers."

Although curious about the so-called Forget-Me-Not, Mei first asked the question that had been bothering her.

Mei's question startled Sakura, who immediately denied it without hesitation.

"Flame-Chasers? Of course not... why would you think that?"

She answered with a question before continuing firmly:

"Our positions may indeed be different, but as long as we bear this title... our actions will never conflict with the definition of a 'hero.'"

Sakura's resolute words reached the ears of everyone watching.

—At that moment, as though recalling something, Kevin subconsciously clenched his fists and lowered his head.

---

Chapter 253: [Fire Moth]

After hearing the resolute words of their former comrade in the video, Su and Fu Hua were somewhat saddened.

Of course, it was understandable.

After all, Sakura, who spoke those words, faced such a cruel end in her life.

It was rather... ironic.

The three who knew about and experienced the Previous Era firsthand all had complex feelings.

And in the video, the conversation between their former comrade and the girl named Raiden Mei was not yet over.

“The word ‘hero’... it's often quite subjective. I'll try my best to make my own judgment.”

Mei was unimpressed by Sakura's concept of a hero. After all, the one she wanted to protect—her beloved and only one—was someone worthy of that title.

Mei looked up and, without beating around the bush, spoke directly.

“The reason I came to see you is because many people have mentioned an accident to me...”

“It happened at the First Research Institute, and you were there too.”

“I learned the general outline from Su, but even he doesn't know how the accident was resolved.”

This seemingly long-past event drew everyone's attention.

Many of them harbored considerable curiosity about the Previous Era.

However, upon hearing Mei's question, Su instantly understood what the so-called rumor referred to.

"Being there... well, not entirely. I just happened to be present." Sakura scratched her cheek, seemingly unconcerned, and spoke calmly.

"Any MANTIS could have ended that incident because Su actually accomplished 'stopping Mobius.'"

Upon hearing this, Kiana looked at Fu Hua with curiosity and asked. "Class Monitor, do you MANTIS also have conflicts?"

Based on previous interactions, apart from the seemingly hot-tempered Kalpas, the other MANTIS who had appeared were all relatively easy to talk to.

Considering the close bond between comrades-in-arms, Kiana found it hard to imagine that these predecessors bearing the name "Flame-Chasers" would need to resolve conflicts through battle.

"Most people don't. Everyone gets along fairly well, except for a few individuals."

Although Fu Hua didn't say it explicitly, Mei, knowing a bit about the situation, couldn't possibly be unaware. She raised an eyebrow.

"Kalpas and... Mobius?"

The former's hot-tempered personality had already been revealed. He clearly had a fiery temper and was prone to conflict.

And the latter...

"I'm suddenly a little curious about that Dr. Mobius."

Mei stroked her chin. Although Fu Hua, and even Raven and Jackal of World Serpent, had mentioned Mobius, the only concrete impression they had of her was that of the mad scientist mentioned in the previous question.

...

"But... according to her, Mobius still had some strength left when she used hers."

Mei was clearly dissatisfied with Sakura's statement and pressed for more details, causing Sakura to fall silent for a moment.

After a while, she sighed.

"She's not wrong, but that remaining strength only allowed her to last for a few seconds."

"When I got there, the giant serpentine monster almost completely filled my field of vision."

Sakura's expression darkened as she recalled the memory. It was clear that it had left a deep impression on her.

"Judging by common sense, it's almost impossible for a Honkai Beast to appear in a strategic location like the First Research Institute, but at that time, I didn't have time to think it through."

"It was the first time I'd ever seen anything like it, but the danger I sensed emanating from her had an almost 'legendary' quality."

"...It's hard to describe."

This description was clearly unusual. At least, Mei couldn't imagine it.

Sakura wasn't surprised. She merely continued with a hint of helplessness.

"That's the most accurate description I can think of. It wasn't like the sense of danger from encountering a ferocious beast. Rather, it was like some long-rooted fear suddenly being awakened."

"A nightmare that has always haunted you suddenly comes true. A ghost you firmly believed in as a child appears before your eyes... that's roughly the feeling."

As if to make it easier to understand, Sakura gave a simple example before smiling.

"So, although I didn't know what she planned to do to that peacock, I still drew my sword to test her."

“That was a strike I'd left myself plenty of room to adjust. I never expected it to succeed so easily.”

Sakura spoke with deep emotion.

At the time, she had truly only wanted to test the waters.

But she never imagined that a single strike would bring her opponent down.

“She was already on her last breath.”

Mei calmly stated what she knew, and Sakura nodded slightly before replying seriously,

“That’s right. It was only much later that I learned it was Mobius.”

“I see. Thank you, Sakura...”

"..."

Mei, belatedly realizing something important from the previous conversation, looked somewhat taken aback.

"Wait, you just mentioned... a peacock?"

"Uh... did I? Maybe... it was just a slip of the tongue?" Sakura chuckled, scratching the back of her head while thinking to herself:

(Su... probably doesn't want others to know about that.)

The video ended there.

"So... that's how it was back then?"

Seeing Fu Hua's surprised expression, Kiana couldn't help but feel a little astonished.

"You didn't know about it, Class Monitor?!"

"It's impossible for me to know everything..."

Fu Hua helplessly twitched the corners of her mouth. She felt as though Kiana was treating her like a know-it-all.

Although she was also a MANTIS, the MANTIS didn't often gather together.

Everyone had their own missions, and they only came together when facing major disasters such as Herrscher attacks.

The incident at the First Research Institute wasn't a secret among the Fire Moths, but in reality, very few people knew the specifics.

Sakura wasn't the type to gossip, and Su was quiet by nature.

While Mobius was rather shameless, she couldn't reveal what had happened.

After all, she was entirely responsible for the mess at the First Research Institute.

If Mobius's abilities hadn't been so irreplaceable, and if Dr. Mei hadn't intervened, Mobius might have spent some time in jail.

"Speaking of which, Mr. Su is a peacock... I can actually picture it. Pfft."

Thinking of the giant peacock confronting a snake as Sakura had described, then looking at the blind man beside her, Kiana couldn't help laughing at the bizarre image.

But what intrigued everyone even more was the person beside them.

Kiana looked at Fu Hua with curiosity and asked:

"And you, Class Monitor? What was your form like after AHR?"

Fu Hua was also a MANTIS.

If the blind man who always kept his eyes closed turned into a peacock, then what would Fu Hua become?

Even Otto couldn't help but be curious.

Even Book of Fuxi, who had always been by Fu Hua's side, looked concerned.

"...Ahem."

Fu Hua's expression stiffened, and she coughed a few times.

To be honest, no MANTIS wanted to reveal their AHR form to others.

After all, although most of them were no longer physically human, they were still mentally human.

A few side effects were tolerable, at worst resulting in donkey ears or something similar.

But transforming into an indiscriminate Honkai Beast through AHR was truly humiliating.

However, Fu Hua wasn't as concerned about it as Su was. After a moment's hesitation, she finally spoke.

"A MANTIS's Active Honkai Reaction is determined by the Honkai Beast genes they fuse with."

"Then, Class Monitor, you..."

Before Kiana could finish, Fu Hua bluntly stated the code name of the Honkai Beast genes she had fused with:

"Garuda."

"A bird?"

The Honkai world also had mythology. Einstein, who had read extensively about various cultures, was slightly taken aback before recognizing Fu Hua's AHR form.

"Garuda? What's that... does it look like Jingwei?" Book of Fuxi asked in confusion.

Speaking of AHR, she had always assumed her immortal was actually a Jingwei in human form. After all, Fu Hua used to be called Jingwei, so it was understandable that she would transform into a giant Jingwei.

"Nian Beast...?"

Hearing this, those who knew couldn't help showing strange expressions.

They all simultaneously imagined a giant Nian Beast version of Fu Hua.

A round body.

Adorable eyes.

Ahem...

Before Fu Hua's face darkened, Su, who was visiting this space for the first time, received his first reward box.

And his reward was...

A pair of glasses?!

Mei was somewhat surprised upon seeing them, since her most useful item had also been a pair of glasses, although these were slightly different.

Wendy, on the other hand, looked completely puzzled.

What would a blind person need glasses for?

Oh... wait, this person wasn't blind.

[Extremely Special Glasses]

[When wearing these glasses, even a blind person can regain their sight.]

[When wearing these glasses, even with their eyes closed, they can mimic the appearance of having their eyes open and looking very serious.]

In an instant, upon reading the description, the entire room fell silent.

Especially Su, who held the glasses as his lips twitched involuntarily.

So this was the Q&A Space confirming his blindness, wasn't it?

They had even provided such a convenient item to conceal it.

Should he be happy about this...?

What a joke!

Su, who had remained calm and collected after tens of thousands of years of observation, suddenly felt an urge to curse.

Just like he had 50,000 years ago, before he was sealed within the Honkai.

"...This really is a miracle for students who doze off in class!"

Putting aside the initial effect of restoring sight, simply being able to mimic open eyes immediately made Himeko, as a teacher, recognize its true value for students who slept during class.

Of course, as a responsible teacher, Himeko certainly wouldn't endorse such behavior.

“…”

Su suddenly wanted to laugh.

Dozing off in class...

That kind of value would probably only be useful if time were turned back several thousand years, back when he was still a student.

Wait.

He had been a good student.

He had never dozed off in class.

Never mind.

Fu Hua also wanted to laugh, but seeing Su's discomfort, she offered some consolation.

“I think you should wear them. At least that way, no one will think you're blind.”

“…”

Su was somewhat speechless, but he still put them on.

He didn't care about the effect. He simply wanted to test the item's properties in this space.

Then...

Everyone froze simultaneously.

Then, in perfect unison, they covered their mouths, struggling to hold back their laughter.

Seeing this, Su was a little confused.

Why were they reacting like that?

But the next moment...

"Hahahaha!"

A burst of laughter echoed throughout the Q&A Space.

What?

Why were they laughing?

Imagine Su, who had always pretended to be blind with his eyes closed, suddenly opening a pair of huge Kaslana eyes. Even Kevin, now as cold-faced as a devil, instinctively smirked at the sight.

Realizing something was wrong, Su used his powers to project his appearance into his mind.

The moment he saw the source of everyone's laughter, something inside him snapped.

"Amitabha, Amitabha..."

"Don't be angry. Don't be angry..."

Bearing the name of the Enlightened One, Su suppressed the anger rising from the depths of his heart.

He also immediately removed the glasses that had made him the laughingstock of everyone.

Otto lightly stroked his smooth chin and remarked with interest,

"It's called mimicry eyes, but it doesn't specify what kind of eyes it mimics... That's quite something."

Of course, the glasses' function couldn't possibly be that simple.

While those ridiculous Kaslana eyes were indeed absurd, these glasses were still a golden-rarity item.

White-rarity items were generally useless junk.

But golden-rarity items were almost always valuable.

Even if the ability seemed ridiculous, its true value was beyond question.

Would anyone really believe a golden-rarity item only restored sight and mimicked open eyes?

There had to be more to it.

The perceptive Bronya was the first to notice something unusual.

She looked at Su and asked calmly.

“Mr. Su, may Bronya borrow your glasses for a moment?”

“…”

Su handed them over without hesitation.

After what had happened earlier, even with his good temper, he had wanted to smash them.

Besides, Bronya was Hua's companion, and for Hua's sake, he wasn't going to be stingy.

“Bronya Onee-chan isn't actually going to wear those glasses too, is she?”

Ignoring Wendy's puzzled expression, Bronya put on the glasses.

At first, everyone saw those comically oversized eyes.

Seeing Bronya like this, those who knew her well nearly laughed.

But the next moment...

Bronya's eyes transformed into mesmerizing iridescent green eyes.

Everyone recognized them, especially Seele.

They were the very eyes she had obtained before:

[Mystic Eyes of Distortion]

However, this was not the end.

The next moment, Bronya's Mystic Eyes of Distortion transformed into blazing golden eyes.

Kiana's Herrscher of the Void eyes.

Mei's Herrscher of Thunder eyes.

Her own Herrscher of Reason eyes.

Even...

The Herrscher of Finality's eyes.

Under everyone's gaze, Bronya's eyes continued changing.

The moment they shifted into the Finality form, they even caught the attention of Kiana, who had been quietly resting with her eyes closed.

A hint of surprise flickered across her indifferent gaze as she looked at eyes identical to her own, carrying the same overwhelming aura.

"So that's why these glasses are considered a golden-rarity item."

Einstein finally understood Bronya's actions.

It turned out the glasses could freely switch between different eye forms.

She simply didn't know whether they also retained the original abilities of those eyes.

Seeing this, Su's dissatisfaction finally subsided as he quietly watched Bronya skillfully manipulate the glasses.

Although there had been an unexpected surprise, the glasses were far from the ridiculous junk he had first imagined, which was at least somewhat comforting.

Just then, the twelfth question caught everyone's attention.

[12. In Fire Moth, which of the following is a singularity?]

[A. Horaiji Kyuushou]

[B. Theresa]

[C. Seele]

[D. Bronya]

---

Chapter 254: At Least, Hope Has Not Yet Disappeared 

"Fire Moth, isn't that the name of the organization from your Previous Era, Class Monitor...?"

Kiana was certainly familiar with the name Fire Moth, having heard it countless times in previous Q&As. Even now, three of its members were beside her.

But...

"What does 'Singularity' mean in Fire Moth?"

"...It's probably something different from the others, a rather special existence."

Mei offered a rough explanation, but she herself was very confused.

If it involved a Singularity, then it must refer to some unusual aspect of Fire Moth.

However, looking at this answer, the problem became very serious.

Mei turned to Fu Hua, her lips pressed tightly together, and asked with a furrowed brow,

"Class Monitor, do you Fire Moths have anyone named Horaiji Kyuushou?"

Theresa, Seele, and Bronya were all people they knew, people from this era.

But these three had absolutely no connection to Fire Moth.

Therefore, they couldn't be considered any singularity of Fire Moth.

Only option A, Horaiji Kyuushou, was a completely unfamiliar name to them.

They had never heard of her before, so their only hope for clues lay with Fu Hua and the other two survivors of the Previous Era.

Facing everyone's gaze, Fu Hua rubbed her forehead and pondered for a moment.

After a long pause—

"No."

Fu Hua gave a straightforward answer.

"At least in my memory, there's no one with that name."

"Kevin, Su, do you know her?"

Thanks to her genes, Fu Hua's memory was the best among the MANTISes, but she wasn't exactly outgoing, which meant her social circle wasn't as wide as one might imagine.

"...No."

"No."

Su and Kevin answered one after the other.

This result made Fu Hua frown. Under everyone's gaze, she slowly said,

"If even Su and Kevin don't know anyone with that name, then I don't think there's a Horaiji Kyuushou in Fire Moth."

Although her own social circle wasn't particularly wide,

Su and Kevin were different.

Even though one of them was pretending to be blind and the other had gradually transformed from a warm-hearted young man into someone with an icy expression, as if she owed him money forever, their past identities had to be taken into consideration.

Even before that tragedy struck and before the Thirteen Flame-Chasers were established, Kevin, who was in a relationship with Dr. Mei, already held a considerable position.

And because Kevin was also very capable, his network of connections was extensive.

At least within Fire Moth, he could name and remember almost everyone he had met.

While Su wasn't like Kevin, he served as a doctor within Fire Moth.

Many MANTIS members would seek him out after being injured in battle.

Combining the networks of these two, even Elysia, once considered Fire Moth's social butterfly, would have to admit defeat.

"If Fire Moth didn't have this person... then it wouldn't be Auntie and the others."

Kiana scratched her head, feeling inexplicably overwhelmed.

"...Regarding this, there's really no need to worry so much. After all, we're making a choice, aren't we?"

Einstein spoke softly.

"Although we have absolutely no idea who this Horaiji Kyuushou is, we can at least be certain that Ms. Theresa and the others aren't the so-called singularity mentioned in the question."

"In that case, let's just place our bets on this unseen Ms. Horaiji Kyuushou."

That being said, the final decision rested with the one making the choice.

And this time, that person was...

Kiana.

Everyone stared in surprise and astonishment at Kiana Kaslana, who had been resting with her eyes closed and only opened them when she saw something interesting in the displayed images.

According to what the other party had said earlier, these two people shouldn't have wanted to participate in this so-called Q&A.

"Why?"

Perhaps it was because of the sensitivity of their identities that Cecilia dared to speak to Kiana.

In fact, she wanted to get closer to Kiana and reminisce about her biological daughter from another world.

But the only time she could be considered affectionate was that one occasion.

After that, because of Kiana's unwillingness, Cecilia could only regretfully back down.

"..."

Kiana didn't speak, her expression as indifferent as ever.

She simply answered slowly,

"The correct answer is A, Horaiji Kyuushou."

At that moment, Mei, who was beside her, lowered her eyes, her bright gaze dimming.

*[Correct answer!]*

Amid everyone's stunned silence, the Q&A Space responded.

As expected, it was correct...

However, Kiana, the one answering the question, showed no joy. Her expression remained as cold as ever.

Slowly, the screen opened.

A related video began to play.

The scene began inside a train carriage.

Strangely, the brightly lit carriage was completely empty, with no other passengers in sight.

In this setting, a strikingly beautiful girl in a uniform lay sleeping with her eyes closed, her dark hair with bright highlights making her particularly eye-catching.

"Is this Horaiji Kyuushou from the title?"

Seeing the girl's drowsy appearance, Himeko was somewhat surprised. She crossed her arms and praised,

"She seems quite cute."

"However, dyeing your hair at this age isn't something to be encouraged."

While admiring the girl's appearance, Himeko clicked her tongue at the obvious highlights in her hair, offering a teacher's critique.

"Indeed, I've never seen anyone like her before."

Fu Hua finally reached a conclusion.

If she had still doubted that the three of them might have been mistaken or overlooked something, now that she had seen Horaiji Kyuushou's face, Fu Hua was certain that there had never been such a person among the Fire Moths.

"She seems like a very quiet... very gentle older sister."

Seele glanced at the unusually sweet-looking Horaiji Kyuushou sleeping in the image, resting her chin on her hand.

Wendy dismissed this assessment, also resting her chin on her hand as she muttered,

"Really? I had a feeling she'd be the noisy type..."

"Because she seems a lot like Wendy, who's such a gentle person."

Seele smiled faintly, saying something that made Wendy blush.

A little flustered, Wendy quickly waved her hands.

"No, no..."

Bronya stood expressionless.

Oh no, the wings seem... ugh!

But Wendy is gentle...

Bronya's mind flashed back to Wendy's tornado-like laughter during training and previous battles.

Heh... at least in terms of fighting style, Wendy definitely isn't a match for the word 'gentle.'

While everyone was discussing the sleeping beauty in the image, a second living thing finally appeared in the huge carriage.

It was someone dressed as a ticket inspector...

Homu?!

Everyone stared at the Homu dressed as a ticket inspector with strange expressions.

Some found it amusing, while others, like Bronya, had their eyes shining.

"Wake up, miss. We're almost at our stop."

The not-so-tall Homu ticket inspector called out in Homu's distinctive voice as he approached the sleeping beauty's seat.

However, those with keen eyes immediately noticed the obvious static in the Homu ticket inspector's voice.

"So it's a robot..."

Bronya was somewhat disappointed.

She had thought it was the real, living Homu, but it turned out to be a Homu robot.

"..."

"..."

At the sound of the Homu robot's call, the "Sleeping Beauty" slowly opened her eyes, revealing wine-red irises.

Whether from just waking up or for some other reason, her eyes were still unfocused and filled with confusion.

Noticing this, the Homu robot offered timely reassurance.

"It's alright. Don't be afraid. You're safe now."

"Ugh... what happened to me...?"

The pain in her head, the dizziness, and the overwhelming sense of emptiness and confusion made her instinctively clutch her forehead.

The Homu robot carefully observed this important passenger and quickly asked,

"It seems your memory has been damaged. Is anything bothering you?"

"My head hurts so much... It feels like I bumped into something..."

After receiving the girl's subconscious responses, the Homu robot mechanically began reporting its findings after examining her with its built-in detection systems.

"Understood. Physical examination reveals no external injuries. The suspected cause is nerve damage. This symptom will be recorded for future observation."

"Who are you?"

Seemingly calming down, the girl finally realized that the Homu robot before her was unfamiliar.

She looked at it with confusion and bewilderment.

The Homu robot answered honestly,

"I am the 'Guide,' manufacturing batch number hm160304012ein, the train conductor of Carriage 6, responsible for escorting you home."

Home...

Hearing that unfamiliar word, the girl froze.

A casual glance drew her attention to the scenery rushing past the window.

!!

"What's going on?"

Looking at the desolate landscape outside and recalling the unfamiliar word the other person had mentioned, the girl urgently sought an explanation.

"It seems further explanation is needed. Please provide the word you wish to search."

The Homu robot fulfilled her request.

Of course, it behaved like a typical robot, but how could the girl, whose mind was in complete turmoil, possibly think of any specific words?

She hurriedly said,

"I have no clue. Please explain briefly."

"Understood."

The Homu robot nodded and, in a voice crackling with static, began explaining.

"The current date is April 18, 2019. Five years ago, during the Third Second Eruption, the world was destroyed by the Herrscher. We are currently in the ruins of Nagazora. Our destination is the human resistance base."

When those words reached her ears, the girl froze, her eyes filled with disbelief.

The world... was destroyed?!

"That's right."

The Homu robot confirmed the fact before continuing its account of that brutal past.

"The global Great Honkai, centered around the Herrschers, destroyed human civilization. The Honkai energy explosion that occurred simultaneously with the Great Honkai led to the mass extinction of life on the surface."

"Due to the subsequent global climate anomalies and the residual Honkai death zones left after the explosion, Earth has lost the conditions necessary to sustain life. After three years of disaster, the global population survival rate is approximately 0.0006%, and you are one of the precious survivors."

Homu summarized this recorded historical fact in a calm voice laced with electronic static.

"I am... a survivor..."

The explanation caused the girl to murmur as she looked down at her clean, white palms, momentarily entertaining the absurd thought that she might be dreaming.

Of course, she wasn't the only one who found this harsh reality surreal.

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

Having listened to Homu's entire explanation, Theresa turned her head with some difficulty.

Everyone's gaze also fell upon Kiana.

Kiana unconsciously murmured.

"Is that... the world after its destruction?"

At the end of Ragnarok, they had witnessed the apocalypse brought about by Kiana and Mei.

The dazzling light was identical to what Homu had shown in the video.

Seele's eyes were filled with sorrow and resistance.

"Only 0.0006% of humanity remains... Humanity is practically extinct... It's so cruel..."

...Was it cruel?

Hearing Seele's words, Kiana asked herself.

Perhaps it really was cruel.

However, this was also Finality... her inescapable fate...

It was also the consequence of her own sins.

"..."

Kevin listened to the shocking figures, yet remained unusually calm.

How was the Previous Era any different from that world's situation?

After the Twelfth Herrscher, only two cities of humanity remained in the Previous Era, and their population, compared to the nearly ten billion people at humanity's peak, was less than one-tenth of one percent.

Only 0.0006% survived?

That was already quite good.

It had to be understood that the reason these people from the Previous Era were still alive was entirely due to the foresight of the sages of that era and the protection of the shelters built deep underground.

Fu Hua sighed.

As someone who had lived through it all, witnessing yet another civilization meet the same fate as theirs...

As a human, she couldn't help but feel a deep sense of tragic loss.

To reassure everyone and prevent the oppressive atmosphere from spreading, Fu Hua forced a smile and spoke first.

"Relax. At least... humanity hasn't been completely wiped out in the face of such a powerful enemy."

No matter how dire the situation, as long as the road ahead wasn't completely cut off, there was still hope.

Wouldn't humanity there, at the very least, be able to survive until the next era, just as they had?

---

Chapter 255: Hey, Seele's Here!

So hope hasn't been extinguished yet...?

Kiana listened to Fu Hua's words, a hint of mockery rising in her heart.

The mockery wasn't directed at Fu Hua, but at herself.

She looked down at her hands, hands etched with the traces of Honkai energy.

They were clean, but in Kiana's eyes, they were stained with blood.

Blood that could never be washed away—ever.

This scene was witnessed by Cecilia.

No one knows a daughter better than her mother. Through this subtle reaction, she could sense the sorrow hidden beneath the calm surface of her daughter from another life.

Why sorrow?

Was it because she still regretted her actions?

At that moment, Cecilia's fingertips touched her chest as she felt a dull ache in her heart.

Just then, another question appeared.

【12.① After Horaiji Kyuushou encountered an accident, she was rescued by the human resistance forces during the emergency evacuation by the Homu robots. Who was the person who saved Kyuushou?】

【A. Yssring Leavtruth】

【B. Seele Vollerei】

【C. Sin】

【D. Kevin Kaslana】

The new question drew everyone's attention.

Upon seeing its contents, everyone paused in stunned silence.

An unexpected accident?

Did that mean something would happen to the child in the image...?

No... the real question was: who exactly rescued Horaiji Kyuushou?

"Seele can probably be ruled out."

Bronya spoke up, her eyes slightly lowered as she offered her opinion.

She didn't explain why, but everyone already understood.

If the world in the image was indeed the one Kiana had destroyed, then... Seele and the others should have perished on the day the Great Honkai erupted.

"If it's option A... I don't think anyone knows someone by that name, right?"

Looking at the name Yssring Leavtruth under option A, Mei glanced at everyone and asked cautiously.

As before, the result was the same.

Whether it was Otto, Theresa, Anti-Entropy, or even Su, representing the Previous Era, no one had ever seen anyone with that name.

This meant that Miss Yssring was completely unfamiliar to them, just like Horaiji Kyuushou had been before.

Setting Yssring aside for the moment and focusing on option C, Wendy looked uncertainly at Seele beside her and asked,

"Sin... if I remember correctly, isn't she Seele's childhood friend?"

Sin's existence wasn't a secret to Wendy.

After all, she, Bronya, and Seele were a very close-knit group.

Bronya often video-called Sin.

"Hmm..."

Seele scratched her cheek and nodded.

Bronya stroked her chin, pondered for a moment, and muttered to herself,

"Sin... if it's Sin, surviving Finality and becoming one of the survivors isn't impossible, is it?"

Back at the orphanage, Sin and she had been Cocolia's right-hand women.

Whenever Cocolia wasn't around, either she or Sin took charge.

Later, Sin even became one of Anti-Entropy's Executors.

Although Sin's personality seemed difficult to get along with at first glance, Bronya had great faith in her abilities.

But...

While she believed Sin could survive and become a leader, after comparing her with the other candidates, Bronya raised her head, met everyone's gaze, and said calmly,

"Compared to Sin... Mr. Kevin is definitely more likely, isn't he?"

The members of St. Freya didn't like the leader of World Serpent. After all, they couldn't accept Project Stigma.

Therefore, they were still enemies.

However, since the topic was what would happen after the Great Honkai,

if humanity wanted to continue struggling to survive, who could compare to Kevin, a veteran of the project?

In summary...

Option A was unknown.

Option B had already been eliminated.

Option C was possible.

Option D seemed the most likely.

Therefore... the correct answer should be Kevin.

"Speaking of which, the previous questions also mentioned Fire Moth. Since it's Fire Moth, then as one of its members, Mr. Kevin certainly has a high probability."

Rita lightly covered her mouth, her face showing a thoughtful expression.

Even so, they would have to wait and see.

After all, besides the seemingly deceased Seele, both Sin and Yssring could potentially have rescued Horaiji Kyuushou.

The question was answered through a lottery.

And the winner was... Bianka.

Even she hadn't expected to be chosen.

Taking a calm breath, Bianka steadied herself and, under Otto's expectant smile, made her choice.

"I choose option D, Kevin Kaslana."

As the saying goes, one generation plants the trees and another enjoys the shade. Since everyone else had already narrowed down the most likely answers, Bianka saw no reason to overthink this unexpected twist.

But...

[Incorrect answer! The correct answer is Option B, Seele Vollerei.]

The result was disappointing.

More than disappointment, however, everyone was filled with disbelief.

"How could it be Seele?"

Tesla adjusted her glasses to make sure she hadn't misread it, then looked completely bewildered.

Whether it had been Yssring, Sin, or Kevin, they could have accepted any of them as the correct answer.

After all, every option seemed plausible, and getting the answer wrong was perfectly normal.

But the Q&A Space had revealed that the least likely answer was the correct one, while all three of their likely choices had been wrong.

It inevitably left everyone with mixed emotions.

"What happened...? Could Seele still be alive?"

Confused, Himeko couldn't help entertaining a bold guess, searching for a reasonable explanation for such an unlikely outcome.

However, Theresa disagreed with Himeko's wishful thinking. Shaking her head, she said quietly,

"Impossible... We saw it with our own eyes. Seele was..."

She didn't finish her sentence.

Witnessing such a cruel reality once had already been enough.

Bringing it up again would only make everyone feel even worse.

Even without finishing, everyone understood what she meant.

"...Perhaps she really isn't dead."

Einstein, who had been deep in thought, finally sighed and spoke, immediately drawing everyone's attention.

"Judging from the way Seele disappeared... although she was certainly gravely injured, her body vanished in an abnormal way."

"That phenomenon... resembles quantumization."

Einstein sounded somewhat uncertain.

Because of their research into the Sea of Quanta, her understanding of quantum phenomena had advanced significantly.

However, when it came to another world, she could only judge from appearances and couldn't be certain.

"I get it, Mophead. You mean Seele was seriously injured and then passively entered quantumization, right?"

Tesla understood Einstein's theory, but she still couldn't help rolling her eyes.

Even though she wasn't a quantum expert, she had learned quite a bit through their recent Sea of Quanta research.

Seriously injured, then passively entering quantumization.

Good grief. She really would have to be the Sea of Quanta's favorite daughter.

"You really think quantum mechanics works just because you say it does?"

Tesla's eye roll was exactly what Einstein had expected.

Even Einstein herself found her hypothesis rather absurd.

But reality itself was often absurd.

Anything could happen.

Perhaps Seele from that other world really had accomplished something like that.

However, regardless, at least one thing was certain:

if Seele had indeed survived as Einstein believed and become one of the survivors, that would be the best news imaginable.

Bronya pursed her lips as a smile unconsciously spread across her face.

Earlier, seeing Seele die at Kiana's hands had filled her with even greater anger than witnessing her own death in that other world.

Now, hearing that Seele might not have died after all, but instead had miraculously survived, even that possibility alone filled Bronya with joy.

Of course, mixed with that joy was a deep sense of worry.

Seele's survival was wonderful news.

But Bronya herself certainly hadn't survived in that world...

After everyone else had died, as one of the few survivors, the timid Seele must have endured an unimaginably difficult life in such a cruel environment.

As an orphan who had grown up in the frozen wastes of Siberia, been thrown into a concentration camp at a young age, and forced to become a disposable mercenary and tool, Bronya could easily imagine how difficult it would have been to survive on a planet destroyed by Honkai.

It would have been a life of suffering far beyond even her own.

At that moment, Bronya was genuinely worried about the Seele who might still be alive in that world.

She worried whether Seele had enough to eat or enough clothes to wear.

She worried whether Seele would encounter cruel people...

Instinctively, she reached out and grasped Seele's hand.

Only that warm, reassuring touch could bring Bronya even a little peace of mind.

Seele noticed Bronya's anxiety and was briefly stunned.

In all her memories, she had never seen Bronya Onee-chan wear such an expression.

But just as Bronya had once realized from a previous video, Seele was especially sensitive to other people's emotions.

Recalling their earlier conversation and seeing the tension and concern in Bronya Onee-chan's eyes, Seele gradually understood.

She smiled softly and gently squeezed Bronya's hand in return.

...Perhaps Bronya Onee-chan from that world was gone, and that was an incredibly sad thing.

But...

Don't worry, Bronya Onee-chan.

Seele isn't the crybaby who only knew how to cry after her sister left.

Even if it's another version of herself, Seele believes the same is true.

She believes that the Seele of that world, even after losing Bronya Onee-chan...

Yes, she'll cry.

Seele could already picture herself crying as her gaze drifted awkwardly to the side.

At first, she would definitely cry her heart out.

But for the sake of those who had passed away, that version of herself would definitely do everything she could to keep living.

Because...

She's Seele Vollerei!

That determination seemed to be conveyed to Bronya through her eyes, bringing her peace of mind.

The two of them looked toward the screen.

The unfinished image continued.

"Would you like to continue searching?"

Faced with the Homu robot's question, the girl, though still somewhat bewildered, nodded.

"That's... enough."

"Understood. Please allow me to verify some information using the remaining records."

The Homu robot nodded. Its large eyes flashed rapidly as it accessed its internal database.

A moment later, it seemed to find a file matching the girl's identity. Its voice, tinged with static, asked.

"Excuse me, is Horaiji Kyuushou your name?"

"Yes."

Horaiji Kyuushou nodded.

Although her mind was blank, she had at least not forgotten her own name.

"Understood. If you remember anything else, please let us know. We will do our best to help you recover your memories."

After hearing that, Horaiji Kyuushou paused and instinctively muttered.

"My memory..."

"Ugh! My head hurts! I feel like I've forgotten something important..."

A flicker of pain flashed across her wine-red eyes. Clutching her forehead, she frowned.

Seeing this, the Homu robot could only respond mechanically,

"We're almost at the station. Please hold on a little longer."

But the very next moment,

before she could respond,

BOOM!

A deafening explosion erupted, accompanied by flashing red warning lights and an announcement over the train's loudspeakers.

"Warning! This train has been attacked by Honkai creatures. Passengers, please remain calm and follow the instructions of the train staff during the evacuation."

BOOM!

Another deafening explosion.

It was followed by the violent tearing apart of one of the train cars.

A grotesque monster with a bizarre appearance and an overwhelmingly dangerous aura came into view.

Horaiji Kyuushou staggered backward in shock.

"What is that thing?!"

The Homu robot completely lost its composure.

"This is terrible! This is terrible! Dear passenger, please evacuate this way!"

The zombie-like Honkai creature fixed its gaze on its prey.

The Homu robot jumped up in panic, screaming,

"Oh no! Oh no! Requesting assistance! Requesting assistance~"

Judging by its actions, it seemed to be sending out a distress signal.

But distant help could not solve an immediate crisis.

Even if reinforcements were on the way, they wouldn't arrive in time.

So until help arrived, if she didn't want to be killed by those monsters, she would have to fight for her own survival.

In the scene, Horaiji Kyuushou realized this and drew her weapon.

She entered the battle.

Perhaps the battle itself was considered too graphic, so it wasn't shown.

The next thing everyone saw was her panting heavily after a fierce fight while facing an endless tide of Zombies.

By then, after fighting through so many Zombies, Horaiji Kyuushou was completely exhausted.

Her movements slowed, creating an opening.

A Zombie lunged straight at her.

Judging by the distance, she was too late to react.

Just as everyone watching held their breath,

the Zombie was suddenly kicked away.

A figure arrived at the last possible moment.

She wore a revealing combat outfit consisting of a short skirt and shorts, with a massive scythe resting on her shoulder, its blade gleaming with a chilling light.

Looking at the stunned Horaiji Kyuushou with concern, she chuckled.

"Sorry, sorry~ I'm a little late. Are you alright?"

---

Chapter 256: From Now On, I'll Wear Black!

In the scene, the figure who had miraculously saved the damsel in distress at the last moment—that all-too-familiar face—made everyone present stare wide-eyed.

"...That's me?!"

Seele stared in disbelief at the cheerful young woman in the image, lightly covering her slightly agape mouth in surprise.

"Surprising... but thinking about it, it makes sense. After all, as that Homu robot said, five centuries have passed since the world's destruction."

Seeing this grown-up Seele, Mei thought for a moment before understanding.

The Seele on their side was around fourteen years old.

Seele had also appeared during Ragnarok, and she looked about the same age as their Seele, so they were probably around the same age.

While pondering this, Mei couldn't resist offering a compliment.

"Seele's grown-up appearance is truly unrecognizable. You can't tell she used to be so fragile."

"She seems cheerful, optimistic, and carefree," Bronya calmly observed, noticing the difference between the Seele in the image and the one beside her.

If her own Seele was still an immature girl, then the Seele in the image was like a bright young woman facing life with optimism.

...That's good.

A smile unconsciously curved Bronya's lips.

Looking at Seele's smile in the image, she instantly realized her previous worries had been unnecessary.

"Seele is so charming now that she's grown up."

Wendy, her lips slightly pursed and her chin resting on her hand, looked on with admiration and envy.

"She's a completely different type of beauty from Mei and Bronya Onee-chan."

"Ugh... I wonder if I exist in that world, and what I'll look like when I grow up."

She whimpered, her mind wandering as it filled with curiosity about what she would look like as an adult.

"Wendy will definitely be beautiful when she grows up!"

Seele, blushing slightly at the compliment, replied casually. Before she could enjoy the moment for long, Wendy let out an "Eh?" and then spoke.

"But isn't something wrong with the Seele from that world...?"

As she spoke, she glanced rather strangely at the Seele in front of her.

For her age, Seele was quite well-developed.

But the Seele in the image five centuries in the future looked... not exactly unchanged, but rather stagnant, even appearing smaller from the front.

She was still just a little apple, completely unlike Bronya, who had transformed from a bicycle into a motorcycle, from a pony into a car.

Wendy's comment made Seele realize Wendy's gaze had been lingering on her, and she instantly understood what Wendy meant. Clutching her chest in embarrassment and anger, she sobbed in complaint,

"Ugh... Ugh! Wendy's so mean!"

Even so, Seele couldn't help glancing at her grown-up self in the image before stealthily looking down.

Instantly, the ahoge (cowlick) on Seele's head drooped, and her eyes, previously filled with surprise and embarrassment, were now clouded with frustration.

Seeing this, Bronya playfully tapped Wendy on the head, making Wendy clutch her head in grievance. She had only been stating the facts.

After tapping Wendy, Bronya softly comforted Seele.

"It's okay. Seele definitely has room to grow!"

Unexpectedly, those words instantly brought tears to Seele's eyes, which had just begun to regain a little confidence. She felt a pang of heartache.

Bronya's words offered absolutely no encouragement!

At that moment, Black Seele, who had returned from Lei Lu's place and witnessed everything, understood Seele's inner pain. Lying on the sofa with her legs crossed, she grinned and spoke.

"It's okay. If you think it's too small, I can come out~"

When she appeared, Seele's development would increase a little~

Hearing this, Seele looked annoyed and replied speechlessly.

"We're both the same person, okay?!"

Black Seele also used the same body to appear. Her hair color might change slightly due to certain factors, but how could such fundamental physical attributes be different?

Black Seele nodded matter-of-factly, then traced a finger from her fingertip to her lips as she chuckled softly.

"Hmm... that makes sense, but black probably makes you look bigger."

"!!"

I'll wear black from now on!

Wait... that's just psychological!

Seele almost believed it for a second before realizing Black Seele was teasing her.

"Other me is so bad!"

She huffed, leaving behind only Black Seele's giggles.

Black Seele lay on the sofa, propping up her face with a pillow and wearing a nonchalant smile. She then looked at the television screen, at the adult Seele five centuries in the future, and hummed proudly.

"Hmph, my Seele is just as cute now that she's grown up~"

After saying that, she continued watching television, intending to get a good look at this future Seele from another world.

With a carefree air, Seele carried a gleaming scythe over her shoulder as she surveyed the chaotic surroundings.

Looking at Horaiji Kyuushou, who stood frozen in place, she said in surprise.

"Wow... not bad. You actually took down so many Zombies~ Looks like you're someone worth training."

"You guys..."

Looking at the suddenly appearing Seele and the figures in combat gear accompanying her, Horaiji Kyuushou realized something.

Seele chuckled at the reaction. She sized up Horaiji Kyuushou and nodded.

"Hmph~ Looks like you know us. That makes explaining things much easier."

Just then, a team member dressed in similar attire approached and reported in a low voice,

"Captain, the Honkai creatures on the train have been eliminated. We've submitted an entry request to the station."

The moment that title was spoken, it immediately surprised everyone.

"Seele's a captain now," Himeko murmured, stroking her chin wistfully.

Himeko hadn't expected this seemingly timid yet incredibly hardworking student to grow into such a graceful young woman in another world and even become a captain.

"Another captain. Wasn't that future Mei a captain before?"

Tesla crossed her arms, giving St. Freya and the others a rather speechless look.

"You people at St. Freya might have a particular fondness for the title 'Captain,' don't you?"

"Bronya, what about you? Will you or another version of yourself become a captain someday?"

This seemingly joking question made Bronya seriously consider the possibility.

To be honest, it wasn't impossible.

After all, her future Mei had already become a captain.

Apparently, the more conservative one might be the Class Monitor.

So it wasn't out of the question for Bronya to try being a captain someday.

However, Bronya figured she probably wouldn't enjoy that kind of work.

Knowing her own personality, if Honkai were ever defeated, she'd definitely retire and live a peaceful life with Seele.

Bronya gazed at Seele on the screen.

As the scene shifted, the approaching train came to a stop.

"Hmph, you want to know who we are? Then come with us. From today onward, you're family~"

With a soft hum, the graceful Seele Vollerei gazed out the window at the massive building, resembling a heavily fortified military fortress bathed in the night.

She smiled and formally introduced herself.

"Welcome home. We are the human resistance against Honkai—"

The scene ended there.

Those proud, smiling words echoed in everyone's ears.

Seele's words still seemed to resonate.

"Seele... you've really grown up."

Bronya murmured.

A mature appearance could reveal a lot.

But even more could be understood through her words.

Although the adult Seele had spoken only a few casual remarks, they were enough for Bronya to confirm the difference.

...She had become a captain, leading others.

Even after that catastrophe, even after facing the reality of her own death, Seele had continued living with unwavering strength, remaining so optimistic and positive.

"My other self, you can rest in peace now."

Bronya said this to her counterpart in that other world.

"Such amazing growth..."

Theresa crossed her arms as she gazed at the mature and composed Seele in the image, a sense of melancholy washing over her.

For a fragile child to become such an outstanding leader, she must have endured countless trials and hardships.

But speaking of hardships...

Having survived the Herrscher of Finality's apocalypse and barely clung to life amid a nearly destroyed human civilization was itself an immense ordeal.

That maturity was admirable.

But at the same time, Theresa felt a pang of heartache.

The older generation had died too young, leaving these young people to shoulder such heavy responsibilities.

It was a pity that she herself in that world had long since perished in the battle against Finality.

Otherwise, she surely could have shared much of the burden with them.

"Kiana" watched everything calmly without saying a word.

Beside her, "Mei" lowered her eyes, a slight ripple appearing within their dark red depths.

With a swift movement, she presented a box to "Kiana".

"Kiana's" dark golden eyes, as always, remained fixed on the Homu pattern on the box, her gaze lingering upon it.

The next moment, a white light bloomed.

...White light.

It signified bad luck.

"Kiana" had witnessed this before.

But she remained unmoved.

Misfortune... was perhaps punishment for the indelible sins she had committed.

【Beautiful Memories】

【This will recreate photographs of the holder's beautiful past. These photographs are imbued with eternity, ensuring they will never decay or be destroyed.】

"Kiana" gazed at the photograph in her hand—a picture of herself, Mei, Theresa, Himeko, Seele, and Bronya all laughing together.

She slowly closed her eyes.

"Kiana" called abruptly.

Kiana paused in surprise upon hearing her name.

The next moment, the photograph was placed into Kiana's hand.

"Keep this photograph safe..."

Kiana looked on in bewilderment as "Kiana" coldly explained her intention.

Of course, this only deepened Kiana's confusion.

She didn't understand why "Kiana" wouldn't keep the photograph herself.

These were precious memories of her former companions...

Looking at "Kiana", Kiana instantly understood.

Perhaps, to Kiana, photographs preserving beautiful memories of past companions were extremely important.

But for "Kiana", this photograph was incredibly ironic.

After all, those beautiful memories had been destroyed by her own hands.

From that perspective, keeping this photograph herself would indeed be like rubbing salt into a wound that could never heal.

Looking at it repeatedly might evoke nostalgia, but more likely it would deepen her guilt.

Of course...

For "Kiana" herself...

Perhaps some of Kiana's thoughts were indeed true.

But...

Her reason for giving the photograph away was actually much simpler.

She simply hoped someone else would preserve this important memory.

A person experiences three deaths in life.

The first is the death of the body.

On that day, she personally buried the future of her companions, bringing about that death.

The second is the erasure of one's identity at the funeral.

As the eternal messenger of God, she witnessed and guarded the graves of her companions and human civilization.

The third is being forgotten, completely disappearing beneath the erosion of time.

Now, she was the sole record of everything from the past.

The moment the sinner named Kiana Kaslana died, everything from the past would be buried and erased by time.

She was the messenger of God, the Herrscher of Finality.

Unable to die, she was a sinner who couldn't even commit suicide.

She could have remembered everything forever.

But...

Would this torment ever end?

"Kiana", who had hoped countless times and long since fallen into despair, still couldn't let go of that thought.

...When that time came, she would entrust those memories to someone else.

Although there was no reason, and although Kana didn't understand why, because it was a request from Kiana Kaslana, she looked at the photograph in her hand and finally made her promise.

"I will keep it forever!"

Mei looked at the photograph in Kiana's hand and unconsciously adjusted her glasses.

She looked up, her gaze meeting "Mei's."

Bianka watched everything unfold, raising an eyebrow as she sudden felt a pang of discomfort.

She wasn't good at hiding her thoughts—or rather, she had never even considered concealing anything. Otto, standing nearby, keenly noticed this and stroked his chin with a faint smile.

Just then, the thirteenth question appeared after the twelfth.

【13. During the battle with the Herrscher of Dominance, what happened between Fu Hua and the Herrscher of Sentience to help Kiana?】

【A. Fu Hua used telecommunications fraud against the Herrscher of Sentience】

【B. The Herrscher of Sentience enlarged Fu Hua's breasts】

【C. Fu Hua beat up the Herrscher of Sentience】

【D. The two fought side by side, defeating the obnoxious Herrscher of Dominance】

---

Chapter 257: Hello, Are You There? Mom Is Calling!

Upon seeing the question, everyone was utterly baffled—completely clueless.

It wasn't that they couldn't understand it. The question itself was relatively clear and not complicated.

The only problem was...

"Why is the Herrscher of Sentience involved in the battle against the Herrscher of Dominance?"

Tesla felt a headache coming on.

Dealing with Herrschers usually involved eliminating them one by one as they emerged.

How did the Herrscher of Dominance and the Herrscher of Sentience, two Herrschers who seemed completely unrelated, become connected?

Could it be that the Herrscher of Sentience wasn't eliminated?

Or perhaps, like Welt, the Herrscher of Sentience betrayed them?

But turning against them was impossible, right?

After all, judging from the previous footage, the Herrscher of Sentience had punched Schicksal Goose, kicked World Serpent, and smashed Motorbike Duck.

If nothing had changed, this person had essentially offended all three anti-Honkai organizations in the world.

"That Herrscher of Sentience is indeed somewhat reckless in her actions."

Welt rubbed his chin, his eyes behind his glasses filled with contemplation.

"However... I do think the Herrscher of Sentience might not necessarily become our enemy in the end."

"From what Mei said after defeating the Honkai, we can roughly guess that the future Fu Hua is not dead."

He paused.

"In that case, the Herrscher of Sentience born from Fu Hua's body, if properly guided by Fu Hua herself, should also be able to become a Herrscher fighting for humanity."

Mei had clearly indicated in many previous questions that Fu Hua was not dead.

Taking these factors into account, they looked at the question itself.

It was...

"In the Herrscher of Sentience incident... Fu Hua may have reached a balance with the Herrscher of Sentience to some extent."

Einstein pondered for a moment before glancing at Kiana.

This was their guess.

But what kind of balance was it? They had no idea.

Was it like Kiana's life-or-death struggle with the Herrscher of the Void? Or like a heartfelt exchange...?

That balance would determine whether option C or D was the correct answer.

As for A and B?

No one had paid any attention to those two options from the very beginning.

Option A, telecommunications fraud?

Are you kidding? How could that even happen? Scamming a Herrscher would be incredibly audacious.

Besides, even if there were a scam, no one who knew Fu Hua would believe that this honest-looking person would do such a thing.

As for option B... breasts...

It was just as ridiculous and unreliable.

In short, only options C and D seemed plausible.

"I think it's D."

Himeko crossed her arms and clicked her tongue as she offered her opinion.

"Compared to the infighting in option C, it's obviously better for the two to reconcile and help their trapped companion together."

Theresa, Bronya, and even Fu Hua herself largely agreed.

Fighting one Herrscher was troublesome enough.

Adding the Herrscher of Sentience to the mix and causing internal conflict would only make things worse.

Just thinking about it was enough to give anyone a headache.

"But is the Herrscher of Dominance really that difficult to deal with? Kiana is actually in danger..."

Theresa sounded genuinely surprised.

There had also been a scene depicting the future.

Judging from Kiana's condition, she actually looked quite good.

Considering everything that happened in Elegy of the Sinner, it was hard for Theresa to believe that Kiana, who wielded the power of a Herrscher, could be pushed into such a dangerous situation by the Herrscher of Dominance.

Hearing the question, Fu Hua, who had experienced the Previous Era, looked up thoughtfully as she recalled her impression of the Herrscher of Dominance.

"The Herrscher of Dominance? If it hasn't changed much from the Previous Era... it shouldn't be too difficult to deal with."

She spoke uncertainly.

According to the records from the Previous Era, the greatest danger posed by the Herrscher of Dominance wasn't its combat ability.

In fact, its combat rating could almost be considered the lowest among the thirteen Herrschers.

Its fighting ability was genuinely weak.

When Dr. Mei, who wasn't proficient in combat, wielded the Blank Key, she alone eliminated several hundred groups of the thousand Herrschers of Dominance.

The rest fell to Kevin and the MANTIS warriors.

Their abilities were flashy, but their actual strength was pitiful.

However... they were undeniably troublesome.

The Herrscher of Dominance represented the collapse of trust.

Being suddenly betrayed and attacked by one's closest companions, and discovering that these puppets had infiltrated even the upper ranks of Fire Moth, left no one certain that it wouldn't happen again.

Fu Hua could still vividly remember the atmosphere within Fire Moth after the Herrscher of Dominance incident. Almost everyone carried an indelible sense of suspicion.

After much deliberation, the final decision rested with Fu Hua.

She paused for a moment, sighed, and spoke.

"I choose D."

Fu Hua still held onto some hope for the Herrscher of Sentience.

She didn't truly want to become Her enemy.

But...

The correct answer turned out to be one that no one had even considered.

[Incorrect answer! Correct answer: A. Fu Hua committed telecommunications fraud against the Herrscher of Sentience.]

Upon seeing the result, Fu Hua's eyes widened and her mouth fell slightly open.

Book of Fuxi, standing beside her, stared in astonishment before turning incredulously toward her immortal, utterly shocked.

Good heavens!

This blockhead had actually tried to scam someone!

And the victim was a Herrscher!

Water's Edge looked as though she were about to cry, completely unable to believe that her upright master would do such a thing.

Even Su was startled, abruptly opening his eyes as confusion filled his gaze.

Seeing everyone staring at her, Fu Hua forced a smile and opened her mouth, but she couldn't think of a single explanation.

Even she hadn't expected this.

Just then, the video slowly began to play.

Everyone immediately turned their attention toward it.

They were all curious about how the honest and unassuming Fu Hua had managed to commit telecommunications fraud against the Herrscher of Sentience.

—

The video showed a large group of blindfolded, strangely posed, girlish dolls. Looking more closely, one could see the thin threads connecting them.

"So this is the Herrscher of Dominance? How can there be so many...?"

Seeing the puppets, Siegfried's expression became extremely serious.

Every Herrscher deserved to be treated with caution.

Especially one that appeared in such overwhelming numbers.

Theresa, Kiana, and Bronya also became serious.

Fu Hua, who knew the truth, explained softly,

"That's the Herrscher of Dominance, also called the Herrscher of Legion. Its defining characteristic is that it consists of a thousand individuals, each possessing an independent Herrscher Core. Destroying one doesn't destroy the whole."

The title "Herrscher of Legion" wasn't widely known in the Current Era.

Those from the Previous Era knew it through preserved records. Otto knew it, and Anti-Entropy had likely uncovered the information through excavated documents. As for St. Freya, they probably learned it through information shared by Anti-Entropy.

"However... although there are a thousand of them, the individual strength of the Herrscher of Legion isn't actually very high."

Seeing everyone's concern, Fu Hua added something that eased their worries.

"That's a relief..."

"They really thought they were going to fight a thousand genuine Herrschers.

It turns out the Herrscher of Legion is just a group of weaklings who rely on numbers."

Bronya let out a sigh of relief before smiling confidently.

Human wave tactics?

The Herrscher of Reason is least afraid of human wave tactics.

In the scene, opposite the puppets stood Fu Hua and Bronya, both dressed in blue training uniforms.

"Huh, isn't this like lighting a lamp in a latrine?"

Raven couldn't help but laugh.

Fu Hua, the former MANTIS and the Jingwei who had protected Shenzhou for thousands of years.

Bronya, the successor to the Herrscher of Reason, the Silver Wolf of the Urals.

Their opponents supposedly possessed extremely weak individual combat power and relied entirely on overwhelming numbers.

Wasn't this practically a one-sided battle?

Raven could almost imagine Fu Hua and Bronya tearing through the Herrscher of Dominance puppets.

But...

Instead of charging forward, the two wore solemn expressions as though facing a formidable enemy.

Fu Hua spoke first.

"They caught up so quickly... This is troublesome."

The statement immediately caused an uproar.

They were being chased?

Did that mean Fu Hua and Bronya were actually running away?

Raven, who had expected an all-out Honkai Musou battle, felt deeply disappointed.

What happened to the Musou?

Even the usually confident Bronya felt discouraged.

She was the Herrscher of Reason.

How could she be forced to flee from a swarm of weaklings?

A strategic retreat.

Yes.

It had to be a strategic retreat.

Maybe they simply didn't want to waste time fighting them?

"Amazing, Bronya. You always manage to find a way in, making it seem like we all live in cheese—there are holes everywhere. No matter how much we guard against you, we still have to guard against you!"

The leader of the puppets spoke through gritted teeth.

Bronya's expression remained icy as she coldly demanded.

"What did you do to Kiana?!"

"Hmph. We merely did what Overseer of Schicksal did to her back then. If you want to know, go see for yourselves. Of course, you'll have to get through us first."

The doll laughed casually before sneering arrogantly.

"This time is different. There's only one path before you."

"Come on, choose. You can't escape now, so if you've got the guts... kill us."

The doll chuckled as she spread open her chest and provocatively puffed it out.

"But can you bring yourselves to do it?"

Although the dolls were attractive, their blatant mockery and provocation made anyone want to tear their mouths apart.

Bronya clearly felt the same way.

However, seeing the dolls deliberately provoking them, she realized that attacking them was exactly what they wanted.

She glanced at Fu Hua beside her and whispered.

"What do we do, Class Monitor? We can't find another route, and they're directly connected to their hosts. This isn't a long-term solution..."

"...Connection... That must refer to those people who disappeared in the previous video, right? According to the records, the Herrscher of Legion uses ordinary people as hosts..."

Einstein frowned thoughtfully before reaching a conclusion.

"It seems there's a symbiotic relationship between the Herrscher of Legion and their hosts. Those hosts have effectively become hostages, preventing Bronya and Fu Hua from acting."

Hearing this, Bronya, who had thought she'd simply been outmaneuvered again, breathed a sigh of relief.

"So I was being blackmailed into holding back instead of wiping out these weaklings."

"Tch. How despicable."

Bronya glared at the puppets on the screen.

"...Truly vile and underhanded."

After hearing Bronya's words, Fu Hua remained silent for a long time before finally speaking.

"It seems there's no other way."

"Bronya, I'll sever their connection to the hosts."

She fixed her gaze on the puppets, having finally made her decision.

Bronya was startled.

"Sever the connection...? How?"

"I severed the connection between Sirin and Honkai during the Second Eruption. The principle is similar."

Seeing Fu Hua's calm expression, Bronya frowned.

"But you no longer have Fenghuang Down."

During the Second Eruption, only Fenghuang Down had made such a feat possible.

It had already been completely exhausted in the previous battle.

"That's right. I can't do it with my own power anymore."

Fu Hua admitted it without hesitation.

Before Bronya could ask further, she continued,

"So I have to borrow the power of the Herrscher of Sentience."

"The Herrscher of Sentience? But that's dangerous..."

Bronya's expression immediately changed.

Fu Hua's relationship with the Herrscher of Sentience had never been harmonious.

Fu Hua understood that very well.

Still, she nodded firmly.

"I know.

But I have to try."

Kiana was waiting for them somewhere, trapped in a desperate situation.

To save her precious companions and protect innocent lives, she had to take the risk.

The next moment, Fu Hua closed her eyes and descended into the depths of her consciousness.

She once again sensed that heavy chain.

As always, it stretched into the endless darkness, disappearing into an unknown corner of the world where the person at the other end still refused to move.

"Listen to me, if you can hear me—"

"Hello? Are You There?"

----

Chapter 258: Oh No, I've Been Scammed!

With her consciousness submerged deep within her mind, Fu Hua whispered into the chains, unaware of where her voice would travel.

"Kiana is in danger right now. I need your power."

...

The chains in her consciousness seemed to stir.

Noticing this, Fu Hua continued. "I need... your help."

...

Silence. No response.

This silence made Fu Hua's heart skip a beat. She waited anxiously, hoping for a reply.

Finally, her efforts paid off.

A familiar voice came from the other end of the chains.

"...Ugh! Old Timer, you guys are always bothering me. Aren't you tired of it?!"

The impatient, lively voice spoke with obvious annoyance.

"First Kevin's underlings, then a bunch of random wooden figures, and now even you're bothering me?"

Hearing this, Mei couldn't help but stroke her chin.

"Wooden figures" probably referred to the Herrscher of Dominance from earlier.

Like puppets on strings, they were perfectly suited to that name.

But as for Kevin's underlings...

Mei subconsciously glanced at the group around her.

"It's definitely not me! I would never associate with dangerous guys like Herrschers."

Raven saw through Mei's thoughts and waved her hand dismissively.

She had become a World Serpent executive for money. Asking her to kill a Herrscher was one thing, but persuading one... communication was best left to someone else.

She wasn't cut out for that.

While denying it, Raven couldn't help glancing at Jackal beside her. She pursed her lips and said meaningfully,

"If anyone would want to team up with a Herrscher... heh, that's probably only..."

...

"Please. I really need your help."

Fu Hua was extremely sincere, almost pleading.

This rare display of sincerity drew gasps of amazement from those familiar with her.

Fu Hua was known for being incredibly strong-willed and self-reliant.

She was usually the one others begged, never the one doing the begging.

Yet now, the Fu Hua in the scene was pleading so earnestly, proving she was truly desperate.

However, the Herrscher of Sentience was clearly unmoved by Fu Hua's sincerity.

She sounded quite displeased and suddenly raised her voice.

"Huh? You think I don't know that using a Herrscher ability on these guys will steal my power?"

"What is this supposed to be? 'Using someone else to do your dirty work?' Or 'killing two birds with one stone?'"

Her voice was full of suspicion and sarcasm.

The next moment, the Herrscher of Sentience seemed to realize something and mockingly said,

"Oh~! I get it. You must've been turned into one of those wooden puppets, right?"

"Sigh. I knew it. Your pathetic life was easily crushed by them."

The Herrscher of Sentience spoke with amused contempt toward Fu Hua.

However, her words revealed an important piece of information.

"...Can the Herrscher of Dominance usurp the authority of another Herrscher?" Welt frowned.

The power of a Herrscher was nothing more than Herrscher authority, and that authority was crucial to every Herrscher.

From the Herrscher of Sentience's words, the Herrscher of Dominance seemed capable of seizing the authority of other Herrschers, making it impossible for them to ignore.

Imagine if one Herrscher could usurp the authority of others...

An already troublesome Herrscher with a single authority could become a multi-authority Herrscher wielding multiple powers.

There had once been such a Herrscher.

Sirin, at her peak, wielded six cores and could use six different authorities.

Of course, perhaps due to her lack of education, those six godlike powers had been used rather inefficiently.

Even so, the six-core Sirin inflicted catastrophic damage on human civilization.

Joyce also understood the gravity of the situation, but he added seriously.

"It's not just that. According to the Herrscher of Sentience, it seems you can't use Herrscher powers against them. That means using your authority against them will only result in having it stolen... This ability..."

That's disgusting!

If the Herrscher of Dominance really could steal someone's authority the moment it was used against them, then they were a target that Herrschers couldn't even attack.

Herrschers relied almost entirely on their authorities in battle. If they lost that authority and were left with only Honkai energy, they would be like a tiger with its fangs pulled—completely vulnerable.

And that wasn't even the worst-case scenario.

If their authority was stolen, could the enemy use it as well?

If so, then the result would be:

The enemy would steal your power, then turn around and kill you with it.

That was beyond frustrating.

As the first Herrscher of Reason, Joyce simply couldn't imagine how to fight such a disgusting opponent.

Einstein, however, remained calm. Though her expression was serious, she turned to Fu Hua and asked directly,

"...I think the Herrscher of Dominance's ability to usurp power must have limitations. Right, Ms. Fu Hua?"

"Regarding that, I don't know." Fu Hua shook her head slightly.

In the Previous Era, she hadn't been heavily involved in the war against the Herrscher of Dominance. She had only helped bring it to a close.

Besides... the Previous Era was different from this one.

By the time they reached the Herrscher of Dominance, the previous Herrschers had already been defeated and turned into Divine Keys. What authorities would the Herrscher of Dominance have left to steal?

Fu Hua didn't rule out the possibility entirely, but she said seriously,

"However... based on the characteristics of my Tenth Divine Key, the Grip of Taixuan, although the power of Domination can usurp and utilize the power of others, that power is less than one-tenth of the original."

"Weaker than the original... that's acceptable." Bronya breathed a sigh of relief.

Honestly, hearing that the Herrscher of Dominance could steal others' powers had made her instinctively break out in a cold sweat.

Based on her previous experiences, Bronya suspected that her future self might also fall into such a trap, be tricked by those annoying puppets... and even have her driver's license revoked.

Pshaw. Having my license revoked is nothing. The bigger problem is whether they'll steal my license and then steal my car...

Bronya, who was accustomed to running over enemies with her vehicle, certainly didn't want to be crushed by her own power someday.

In the scene, Fu Hua ignored the Herrscher of Sentience's mocking remarks and calmly stated her purpose.

"I haven't become one of them. They're using innocent lives as leverage. I need your power."

"You say you haven't changed? You haven't changed, yet you're trying to trick me into handing over my power?"

With a sneer, the Herrscher of Sentience's dissatisfaction deepened.

"No, this isn't handing it over. As long as we defeat them, the power won't be taken away."

"We will win."

The Herrscher of Sentience, on the other side of the chains, heard Fu Hua's firm and confident words and couldn't help but scoff.

"Yeah, yeah, great! Clap for your future victory! Hmph. What does that have to do with me?"

The next moment, however, her expression changed instantly. She snorted, adopting an attitude of indifference.

"Kiana needs you."

"Isn't she looking for her 'Class Monitor?'"

Having anticipated this, Fu Hua decisively uttered a devastating line.

"I need you too."

Instantly, the Herrscher of Sentience fell silent.

Witnessing this, Book of Fuxi felt as though the sky had fallen.

"Good heavens! This blockhead is flirting!"

In Book of Fuxi's eyes, her immortal was like a rock in a latrine—hard, stubborn, and perpetually clueless.

Her emotional intelligence had been lacking for countless years.

Even after spending so much time with Kiana and the others, she hadn't changed much.

Yet the Fu Hua in the scene had actually managed to say something so flirtatious.

She had definitely grown.

Book of Fuxi wiped away her tears with her sleeve like a proud parent watching a child grow up.

Meanwhile, in the scene, Fu Hua felt the chains within her consciousness loosen slightly.

She quickly pressed her advantage.

"I know... Kiana rejected you before, but after spending that time together, you know she's not a bad person."

"Her rejection of you as 'Fu Hua' wasn't because she disliked you. On the contrary, we all believe you are an independent person—a unique soul."

"You have your own thoughts, your own principles, and the unwavering determination to uphold those principles. You don't need to care who you are because you can decide who you want to become."

She spoke with complete sincerity.

"I've always wanted to tell you this... Kiana and I both hope you can come back."

...

Fu Hua waited anxiously for the Herrscher of Sentience's response.

Reality didn't allow time for a long conversation.

If the other party continued teasing her, she would have to think of another way.

After receiving that wave of sweet talk, the Herrscher of Sentience on the other end of the chains let out an arrogant snort.

"Hmph. You seem a little better at talking than those other wooden figures."

"But ultimately, this is a mess you made yourself! Whoever caused the trouble should clean it up. Yes, if you're so capable, then do it yourself—"

She muttered to herself, clearly showing that she was wavering. A few more kind words and one final push would surely win her over.

However...

Sensing the slight softening in her attitude and knowing there was no more time to hesitate, Fu Hua gritted her teeth and finally made her decision.

"I'm sorry—!"

She apologized in advance.

Seizing the moment the Herrscher of Sentience lowered her guard, Fu Hua forcefully pulled the chain, launching a "sneak attack!"

Power instantly poured into her. Although she felt guilty, there was no time to waste.

The sudden loss of her power made the Herrscher of Sentience stumble.

"Oh no, I've been tricked!"

"Old Timer! You—!!"

Realizing what had happened, the Herrscher of Sentience's voice was filled with shock, anger, and grievance, like a child whose candy had been stolen.

At that moment, however, Fu Hua had already withdrawn from her inner world.

The scene changed.

"The power has returned...!"

Crimson flames ignited around Fu Hua once more.

Her eyes sharpened as she activated the power of the Herrscher of Sentience. Just as she had severed Sirin's consciousness during the Second Eruption, she unleashed the Void Eminence.

"Now!"

"W-What?! Weren't you... unable to use that power?!"

Amid the dolls' astonishment, the Void Eminence severed their connections to their external hosts with overwhelming force.

"Ugh—"

Having accomplished her goal, the flames surrounding Fu Hua gradually faded.

A strange sensation coursed through her body.

She groaned softly and murmured.

"So that's what it feels like to have your power taken away."

Recovering from her shock, Bronya looked at the now-normal Fu Hua and hesitantly asked.

"The Herrscher of Sentience... how is she?"

"She's fine... our conversation was just interrupted."

Bronya nodded and spoke with some emotion.

"But I didn't expect her to actually help you."

After all, the relationship between the Herrscher of Sentience and Fu Hua had never been harmonious.

They had even been mortal enemies, and she had been completely rejected.

Bronya had thought it would be impossible for Fu Hua to receive her help.

"No, to be precise, she didn't agree."

Fu Hua shook her head.

Seeing this, Bronya tilted her head in confusion.

"Eh...?"

Fu Hua avoided Bronya's gaze and spoke as casually as possible.

"She was just starting to waver, but I was in a hurry..."

"Then she must be... furious right now."

Bronya instantly understood the situation and couldn't help smiling sympathetically.

"I'll find her and apologize properly. That's something I have to resolve."

Knowing she was entirely at fault, Fu Hua coughed lightly and said seriously.

"But for now, let's rescue Kiana first!"

At that moment, everyone looked at Fu Hua with rather strange expressions.

You big-eyed, thick-browed devil!

I never expected you to be so devious!

"Ahem... I was forced by the circumstances. I had no choice."

Under everyone's scrutiny, Fu Hua knew she was in the wrong and coughed twice in her defense.

"I suddenly feel a little sorry for the Herrscher of Sentience..."

Cecilia, holding Kiana, felt genuinely sympathetic.

In her opinion, although the Herrscher of Sentience was a Herrscher, her straightforward personality and manner of speaking made her seem almost childlike.

And that slightly arrogant child, after being showered with sweet words, had immediately fallen victim to this "telecom scam."

Wouldn't that leave the poor child psychologically traumatized?

Of course, Cecilia knew Fu Hua had done it to save her daughter.

Naturally, she couldn't blame her.

"Sigh..."

Book of Fuxi, perched on Fu Hua's shoulder, sighed.

She had thought her blockhead was finally about to make a breakthrough.

Instead, this happened.

There was clearly still room for improvement.

Meanwhile, in a corner unseen by everyone, the "Newborn Feather" that Fu Hua kept in the front pocket of her training uniform stirred slightly.

A hazy consciousness was born at that moment, witnessing firsthand the scene of a mother deceiving her daughter.

---

Chapter 259: Red Electric Dragon

"Judging from what Fu Hua and Bronya said in the footage, they likely fought, possibly due to a dispute over their identities..."

Einstein met everyone's gaze as she voiced her conjecture.

Looking back at the previous footage, those in the know nodded in agreement.

Previously, the Herrscher of Sentience's words and actions upon waking had been filled with resentment, dissatisfaction, and regret over her past actions.

Of course, now it seemed more like she was a child eager to prove herself.

Unfortunately, this child was now being scammed by her own mother.

Sigh, these days, even Herrschers can't avoid telecom fraud. It's truly lamentable how morals have declined.

Just as Fu Hua was feeling awkward, the next question appeared like a savior, pulling her out of the uncomfortable atmosphere.

【14. In Elysian Realm, Raven tried to give Raiden Mei a nickname. What is that nickname?】

【A. Black Dodo】

【B. Exploding Island Crow】

【C. Red Electric Dragon】

【D. Blue Shriveled Duck】

Everyone stared at the question, lost in thought.

"This Black Dodo must refer to... Ms. Raven, right?"

Rita looked at the question, glancing at Raven somewhat uncertainly.

"Tch."

Raven turned her head, which was as good as an admission.

Meanwhile, her sidelong glance involuntarily fell on the words "Black Dodo" in the question, and she curled her lip.

"Blue Shriveled Duck... that must refer to Bronya, right? Hmm, after all, she's always getting humiliated, and she's blue too."

Kiana's words drew a murderous glare from Bronya.

For a split second, Bronya gritted her teeth as though sharpening her knives.

Blue was one thing. She did like that color.

But what did "always getting humiliated" mean?!

She had only been humiliated twice!

Recalling those incidents and seeing Seele and Wendy trying to suppress their laughter, Bronya furiously launched a scathing retort.

"Kiana is definitely a White Worm!"

"Ahem..."

Mei coughed lightly, stopping the two.

What kind of version was this?

Bickering was so outdated.

"Hmm... 'Red Electric Dragon' must refer to Mei, right?" Himeko crossed her arms, pondered for a moment, and chuckled. "It does seem quite fitting."

Mei was the Herrscher of Thunder.

She rode Kurikara, a red dragon.

Plus, she had two horns on her head.

At first glance, the nickname "Red Electric Dragon" seemed incredibly appropriate.

Mei twitched her lips but said nothing.

Red Electric Dragon' it is. At least it's not something like 'Purple Rice-Cooking Monster,' right?

"Hmm... these options all have obvious owners, but what does 'Exploding Island Crow' mean...?"

Cecilia looked curiously at option B, the only one that hadn't been identified.

The other three options all had distinct characteristics. Anyone familiar with them could recognize them immediately.

But this "Exploding Island Crow"...

"'Exploding Island Crow?' It's probably... um..."

After hearing Cecilia's words, Theresa looked at the option, rested her chin on her hand, thought for a moment, and then casually glanced at Raven.

The island...

Explosion...

Could it be...

Raven suddenly felt a chill run down her spine, momentarily thinking someone was targeting her.

"Who cares who it is? As long as we know the correct answer is C, isn't that enough?"

Tesla was too lazy to dwell on it. She waved her hand, turning the revelation of Exploding Island Crow's true identity into nothing more than a pipe dream.

Thus, "We Still Don't Know the True Identity of Exploding Island Crow That Day", also known as the large-scale suspense drama "The Unseen Crow", became a hit... ahem.

Mei, who unsurprisingly earned the right to answer, reluctantly made her choice under everyone's gaze.

"I choose C. Red Electric Dragon."

[Correct answer!]

As expected, it was correct.

The related images unfolded before everyone's eyes.

It was still the Elysian Realm. This time, Raven was lounging on a sofa with her legs crossed in the spacious hall.

Seeing Mei appear, she raised a hand and greeted her with a smile.

"Hi, you're back. Any new discoveries?"

Still dressed in her Herrscher of Thunder attire, Mei shook her head slightly before fixing her gaze on Raven. After a brief pause, she lowered her voice and emphasized each word.

"Not yet, but I suddenly realized something—something perhaps only you can answer... Senpai."

"Your tone is really intimidating... What is it? Go ahead."

A hint of helplessness appeared on Raven's pretty face. She waved a hand, shifted into a more comfortable position, stretched lazily, displaying her curvaceous figure, and readily invited Mei to continue.

Mei didn't stand on ceremony.

"While talking to Kevin's memory, he told me that World Serpent wasn't created by him."

Raven didn't answer immediately. Instead, she frowned, looked Mei up and down with concern, and sighed.

"Can't you call him 'Lord' too? It feels weird, like I'm... beneath you."

"...I have no such obligation."

After a moment of silence, Mei replied coldly.

Raven didn't seem to mind. She smiled and spoke with a touch of melancholy.

"Haha, just kidding. But I thought you'd change your mind after entering the Elysian Realm and become a real agent."

"To keep Jackal from becoming another victim, I've even been helping you come up with a codename, like... 'Red Electric Dragon.'"

She teased Mei half-jokingly, immediately causing Jackal to frown in annoyance and glare at Raven.

Raven, unfazed, pursed her lips and continued watching the image of herself and Mei.

"..."

In the image, Mei ignored the teasing. Instead, she looked at Raven seriously and asked.

"Let's get down to business, Raven. Kevin wasn't the founder of World Serpent, and you don't seem surprised at all."

Mei's words immediately shocked everyone.

What?!

Kevin wasn't the founder of World Serpent?

Seeing the incredulous looks from St. Freya and Anti-Entropy, Fu Hua understood what they were thinking and explained,

"The founder of World Serpent was actually Mobius."

"...Then why is Kevin the leader?!"

Tesla crossed her arms in disbelief.

"And... if Mobius is the founder of World Serpent, then that Dr. Mobius..."

"Among all the MANTISes, Mobius is the one furthest from death. She is also the least likely among us to die."

Fu Hua explained before raising an eyebrow, her voice turning slightly somber.

"However, I haven't actually seen her in this era..."

Each surviving MANTIS from the Previous Era was responsible for a different project.

Fu Hua assisted with Project EMBER, Kevin oversaw Project STIGMA, and Su was responsible for Project VALUKA.

According to their agreement, they were supposed to gather periodically to report on recent developments and mission progress.

However, due to various unforeseen circumstances, those gatherings only took place a handful of times at the beginning of the current era.

And during those meetings, Fu Hua never saw Mobius.

Kevin, who had remained silent until now, spoke coldly.

"She's in Elysian Realm."

"...Is that so?"

Hearing the answer, Fu Hua was taken aback before becoming somewhat puzzled.

Indeed, hiding in such a place suited Mobius's personality perfectly.

But if this was the Mobius she remembered, she wouldn't have been content to remain there forever without stepping into the world of the current era.

While Fu Hua remained confused, the scene continued.

"Yes, I knew it all along."

After hearing Raven's reply, Mei's furrowed brows relaxed.

"In the past, I never understood the meaning of the name 'World Serpent.' But now it seems the 'serpent' refers to Mobius."

"You guessed right. She is the true founder of World Serpent. It's not a secret, but your way of joining was unique, so it's normal that you didn't know."

Raven stretched lazily before confirming Mei's conclusion.

"Of course, I only met her for the first time after I came here."

"The first time? You haven't seen Mobius in person?"

"She told me she is Mobius herself. If that's true, World Serpent should still be under her control."

Mei raised an eyebrow, sensing something was wrong.

Raven scoffed.

"She's lying to you. In the current World Serpent, the Lord is the only leader..."

"Or rather, a 'deity.'"

Raven corrected herself. The apt description made Mei nod.

"Yes, I noticed it from the beginning. The members of World Serpent are less like subordinates and more like Kevin's followers."

"To be precise, the executives don't believe in any particular person. They believe in an ideal, a will... and the Lord and Project STIGMA are the embodiment of that will."

"Of course, World Serpent has existed for so long... To be honest, after all this time, even faith becomes somewhat fragile."

Raven spoke with a hint of helplessness before adding softly,

"The only thing that could inspire absolute trust is a legendary figure—a leader who will never fall."

"Flamechaser."

Mei answered, earning an approving look from Raven.

"That's right. But for you... it doesn't seem to work."

That was only natural.

Mei hadn't joined World Serpent for any lofty ideals.

She had joined solely to save the person she loved.

Saving the world and all those grand ideals meant nothing compared to Kiana's safety.

"But... World Serpent's faith lies with the Flamechasers? What if Kevin disappears one day...?"

Rita rested her chin on her hand, curiosity flickering in her eyes.

Kevin, standing with his arms crossed, answered coldly,

"Then World Serpent will be led by another Flamechaser."

"Could Class Monitor do it too?"

Hearing Kiana's question, Kevin glanced at her before replying,

"Hua is qualified... but..."

World Serpent was founded upon the Flamechasers and Project STIGMA, which he oversaw.

Even if he were to die one day, World Serpent would continue along its predetermined path.

Even if other Flamechasers interfered, that resolve would not waver.

Moreover...

Given Fu Hua's personality, it was highly unlikely that she would inherit World Serpent.

Likewise, Su wasn't suited for such a role.

Among the surviving Flamechasers, the only truly suitable candidate was probably Mobius in Elysian Realm.

Otto listened with great interest.

He was particularly interested in matters concerning the Previous Era, the Flamechasers, and their hidden secrets.

At that moment, Mei received her reward.

The instant the box opened, a golden light shot out and entered Mei's body.

As Mei regained her senses, she suddenly felt a chill. A sense of foreboding washed over her.

Naturally, Raven was especially excited.

She looked at Mei with delight, as though she had found a kindred spirit.

People who had already fallen into the water always wanted to drag someone else down with them.

In Raven's eyes, Mei was now that person.

Thank goodness. At least she wasn't the only one trapped in this mess.

Amid cheers, complicated emotions, and reluctance, Mei revealed the attributes of the item she had obtained.

【"Red Electric Dragon" Title】

【This title will remain suspended above the holder indefinitely.】

【Effect 1 (Max Level): While in combat, adds visual effects to the holder's attacks.】

【Effect 2 (Attack Enhancement): While in combat, the holder's average combat power increases by 10%.】

【Note: This title can be set to visible or invisible outside of combat, but once combat begins, it will automatically appear and cannot be hidden until combat ends.】

In an instant, Mei's face darkened after reading the item's attributes.

What was this supposed to be?

The combat power increase was certainly impressive. After all, it was a free boost.

But the worst part was...

A title floating above her head?

Was this some kind of game?

And it even came with visual effects...

Mei imagined herself fighting with the title "Red Electric Dragon" floating above her head.

...She could already picture the enemy laughing hysterically.

Damn it...

Just imagining it made Mei want to laugh at herself.

Just as Mei was feeling utterly mortified over obtaining this title...

Raven, standing nearby, suddenly had tears welling up in her eyes. She paced back and forth while muttering under her breath.

Listening closely, it sounded like she was speaking,

"It's unfair..."

Why did she have to suffer a 007-style overtime punishment, while Mei only had to endure embarrassment in exchange for increased combat power?

Raven felt incredibly jealous!

Her mentality was already on the verge of collapse.

---

Chapter 260: To Save the School, I Become an Idol!

As Raven angrily bit a handkerchief that had appeared out of nowhere, tears streaming down her face, Question Fifteen appeared.

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

Looking at Raven's resentful expression, they were honestly afraid that she might fly into a fit of anger and suddenly rush over to give them all a "Work Overtime Requiem."

【15. Due to various reasons, the Doll Academy is on the verge of demolition. To prevent the academy from being demolished, what method did the dolls choose to save it?】

【A. Hold a concert and become idols!】

【B. Unleash your financial power and show us what a money offensive looks like!】

【C. Team up to overthrow the organizers and defend the Doll Academy with force!】

【D. Cause a ruckus and demolish the Doll Academy first!】

After reading the question, Himeko couldn't help but stroke her chin in surprise.

"It's that Doll Academy again."

Of the several other world images that had appeared so far, the one that impressed her the most was Project Ring, followed by the Doll Academy.

Theresa crossed her arms and pouted.

"...The question is quite straightforward."

She definitely didn't have a good impression of the Doll Academy.

Or rather, Theresa wasn't particularly fond of most alternate worlds.

That was understandable.

After all, whenever they appeared in some parallel world or another, they always managed to drag her out and prank her. It was no wonder Theresa couldn't stand these kinds of experiences.

"The Doll Academy... are these cute little ones' academy really going to be demolished? Um..."

Cecilia reached out and stroked little Bella, who was nestled beside Kiana, her brow furrowed with concern.

Through the Q&A Space, the flashbacks to previous scenes had allowed her to see fragments of the Doll Academy.

To be honest, Cecilia quite liked these small, lively children with distinct personalities.

It was truly heartbreaking to see the academy that housed them facing demolition.

Putting an arm around Cecilia's shoulder, Siegfried smiled and comforted her.

"It'll be saved. More importantly, we should be curious about how these little ones are going to save the Doll Academy."

As he spoke, everyone's gaze fell upon the answer choices.

Bianka raised an eyebrow as she looked at option A and said uncertainly,

"Option A... can we rule it out? Idols... how could becoming idols possibly save an academy that's about to be demolished?"

"It is indeed difficult to imagine. But... since it's the Doll Academy, no matter how bizarre the events or the ending are, it wouldn't be surprising, would it?"

Rita's gentle reminder calmed those who had initially thought Bianka's reasoning made sense.

Joyce frowned, looking rather troubled.

"Indeed... in these parallel worlds, anything is possible."

As the saying goes, "Learn from past mistakes."

It was a lesson everyone had learned more than once during the previous Q&A sessions.

"Option B is more logical... but based on the pattern we've seen before, the most logical option is often the wrong one. Honestly, I don't think option C is a good fit."

Under everyone's gaze, Mei calmly analyzed the choices and offered her opinion.

"The theme of that world seems more lighthearted. Using force would likely lead to large-scale bloodshed. I don't think those ELFs would do something like that."

"And option D..."

Mei paused when she reached option D and fell silent, but the slight roll of her eyes clearly revealed her opinion of it.

"...To stop others from demolishing their school, they demolished it themselves first, so no one else could destroy it."

Tesla looked at the option and couldn't help twitching her lips.

"Okay, I have to admit, if anyone could do something like that, it'd definitely be the dolls."

"...That's impossible no matter how you look at it."

Joyce facepalmed.

How bizarre would someone have to be to do something like that?

In summary:

Option A was uncertain.

Option B was too serious.

Option C was unlikely.

Option D was complete nonsense.

Looking at it that way, the more frivolous option A actually seemed fairly likely.

"Becoming idols to save the school from demolition... it's a bit strange, but the more I think about it, the more it seems like a plausible development."

Mei leaned back thoughtfully before concluding,

"But ultimately, the choice belongs to the winner."

Everyone had their own opinions, and the discussion was merely for reference.

The final decision rested with the sole winner.

And this time, the winner was...

Water's Edge!

Seeing the result, everyone's gaze fell upon Water's Edge, who was perched on Fu Hua's shoulder.

Her tiny face was filled with innocence and confusion.

Indeed, she had only wanted to participate and join in the fun. She had never expected things to take such a sudden turn.

"I... I choose..."

The somewhat timid Water's Edge was about to answer under everyone's gaze. She subconsciously glanced at Fu Hua beside her, received an encouraging look, and then took a deep breath.

"I choose A."

【Correct Answer!】

"It really is A..."

Tesla muttered softly.

To be honest, although both options seemed possible, she genuinely thought option A was rather strange.

Her preferred answer had actually been option B or C.

After all, whether it was overwhelming financial power or using force to defend themselves, both perfectly matched Tesla's straightforward and uncompromising style.

The corresponding footage then began to play.

Everyone turned their attention toward it.

Except for a few people, everyone else was quite interested in the comedic stories unfolding among these dolls.

Besides... the idea of saving a school by becoming idols was intriguing in itself.

—

The scene showed a familiar classroom, with the familiar ELFs sitting in their respective seats. Jingwei's Wings stood at the front as the teacher.

"Classmates, tomorrow is the school festival! Is everyone ready?"

The smile on Jingwei's Wings' face lasted only a moment. Before the dolls below could respond, a virtual screen suddenly appeared on the otherwise plain blackboard.

Raven, the headmistress of the Doll Academy, leaned against the desk with a sorrowful expression as she solemnly announced.

"Dear teachers and students, it is with great regret that we inform you that, due to unforeseen circumstances, the Doll Academy will be closing tomorrow... We wish you all the best in the future, and we hope to see you again!"

The sudden shift from a cheerful beginning to an abrupt ending was a classic case of joy turning to sorrow.

Of course, what intrigued everyone even more was...

"The headmistress of the Doll Academy is actually Ms. Raven?"

Seele was particularly surprised.

Raven had made a brief appearance in Little Tesla's science classroom before, but only for a fleeting moment while watching Otto's program, leaving everyone completely bewildered.

This scene finally revealed Raven's true identity as the headmistress of the Doll Academy.

Of course, despite Seele's surprise, Raven herself merely shrugged.

To be honest, she was a little confused as well.

But... being a school principal...

...might actually be worth considering.

Raven stroked her chin as she thought about whether she should open an academy after retiring.

Originally, her ideal life had been to retire on a private island with her adopted children, such as Sora, and spend her days sunbathing in a bikini on the beach.

But because of this ridiculous Work Overtime Requiem, those plans had clearly been shattered.

Gritting her teeth in frustration, Raven had no choice but to consider an alternative.

Even if she had to work overtime, she couldn't keep walking the same old path forever.

What kind of work did Raven do?

She was a mercenary.

Working overtime to kill people... that was hardly a peaceful retirement.

Rather than continuing that miserable life of living on the edge, it was better to find a new profession.

Being a school principal actually sounded pretty good.

She had the funds now, and once everything was established, Sora and the other children could finally experience the wonderful school life they had never had.

"Aaaaah!! No way, Principal! I haven't been paid this month yet!"

Upon hearing the shocking news, Jingwei's Wings cried out in panic.

"Why does this feel so familiar?"

Himeko said with a knowing smile.

Theresa immediately reacted, stammering defensively,

"I-I... it was only a delayed payment! It wasn't like that!"

Cecilia couldn't help laughing.

However...

Having become Theresa's assistant after her resurrection at Theresa's request, she understood just how severe St. Freya Academy's financial difficulties had been.

Fortunately, Mei and Bronya had been extremely helpful, and with the technology obtained from the Q&A Space, St. Freya's finances had finally turned a profit.

Himeko's salary, which had been overdue for more than half a year, had also been paid in full.

"Eh?!"

In the scene, the simple-minded Water's Edge looked utterly bewildered after hearing the announcement.

"Oh, the school's closing down. Great."

Little Tesla rested her chin on her hand, looking completely unconcerned.

Bella's face lit up with hearts as she giggled.

"That means I can be with the Queen every day from now on... hehe, hehe..."

That blatant fantasy made Kiana's expression toward Bella rather complicated.

Of course, the one with even more complicated feelings was probably the Herrscher of the Void, hidden deep within Kiana's heart.

She kept her eyes closed as though she hadn't heard the remark, but the slight twitch of her eyebrows revealed that she wasn't nearly as calm as she appeared.

In short, upon hearing Raven's announcement that the school would be closing, the dolls all reacted differently. Some panicked, some remained indifferent, and some even... well, you know.

Then, the next moment, someone finally stepped forward.

"Wait!"

The background music began playing as Selune's Elegy, the most chuunibyou character in everyone's memory, leaped onto the stage and launched into a grand speech.

"The world stands on the brink of collapse! Followers of Selune, it's time to unleash your true power!"

"Let us follow in the footsteps of Magical Girl Teriri, form an idol group, and use the power of idols to save this world on the verge of destruction!"

Selune's Elegy delivered an impassioned speech.

"Hmm... now that's a devoted fan."

Himeko casually remarked, causing Theresa's face to turn purple.

She definitely didn't want such a devoted fan!

She knew this cursed parallel world would never let her off the hook.

Damn fans. Damn Magical Girl Teriri!

Theresa would remember this grudge!

Through gritted teeth, Selune's Elegy, the devoted Teriri believer, straightened her back and raised her voice another octave.

"Everyone! Those willing to lend me your strength, please raise your hands..."

Unfortunately, before she could finish her passionate speech, a chilly breeze swept in through the window, passing over the empty seats left behind.

By the time she finished speaking, most of the dolls had already left. Only a handful remained.

Their decisiveness left everyone speechless and somewhat wistful.

The beautiful campus was about to disappear, yet the only one still determined to save it was Selune's Elegy, with her devoted yet somewhat childish chuunibyou spirit.

It had to be said that this persistence alone was enough to earn everyone's respect for an ELF they had never met.

In a sense, wasn't Selune's Elegy just like them?

Selune's Elegy wanted to save the abandoned school, and they wanted to protect this world, imperfect though it might be.

Theresa, who had initially been rather annoyed by her, couldn't help silently applauding the little girl who loved causing her trouble.

Of course, there were other reactions.

For example...

"You ran away pretty fast!"

Amid Little Tesla's groans, Tesla mercilessly pinched her cheek like kneading dough while wearing a forced but seemingly gentle smile.

Although it didn't hurt, Little Tesla, her face distorted by the pinching, still protested innocently,

"That has nothing to do with me!"

Indeed, she was also Tesla Zero.

But she wasn't the Little Tesla who had run away like a greased-up villain in the scene.

"If everyone else ran away, can Selune's Elegy save the school by becoming an idol all by herself?"

Bronya smiled at Seele's concern, gently tapping her head before chuckling.

"It's the dolls, Seele. Pay attention to the question."

The question itself made that point quite clear.

If it had referred to only one doll, then whether she succeeded alone would still be uncertain.

But since it used "they," the outcome had already been hinted at.

"I think that although the dolls ran away... they might be moved by Selune's Elegy's determination and come back to help at the last moment!"

Tesla waved a hand after hearing Welt's words and couldn't help retorting,

"I have to say, that's such a classic manga development."

Otto chuckled softly.

"Heh. Reality is always full of surprises, isn't it?"

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