AQK 261-270 (Patreon)

Placeholder. Last one.

Chapter 261: This Is a Trial Predestined by Fate

After most of the dolls had run away, only the soundly sleeping Book of Fuxi and Water's Edge, whose hand was halfway raised and awkwardly about to be lowered, remained in the classroom.

"Hero!"

As if seeing a lifeline, Selune swiftly grabbed Water's Edge's hand. She looked at this last hope with teary eyes, and solemnly spoke.

"The responsibility of saving the school rests on the shoulders of the two of us!"

"Um... I really want to help, but I can't play any instruments..."

Water's Edge, with her helpful nature, naturally wanted to agree. However, when it came to Selune's Elegy's plan to become an idol and save the school, she couldn't help but feel a little troubled.

The next moment, Water's Edge had a flash of inspiration, recalling the figures of her two mentors.

"Hey, I remember my mentors seem to know how..."

"Pfft!"

Tesla quickly covered her mouth with her hand, suppressing a laugh.

"Forgive me for laughing so heartlessly."

Einstein stroked her chin, looking at Water's Edge's flashback image of Fu Hua and the Herrscher of Sentience, one wearing sunglasses and playing the erhu, the other the suona, and chuckled.

"They seem to be Shenzhou instruments. The erhu... and the other is probably the suona."

There's no way around it; the way those two played those instruments, even just in her imagination, looked too convincing.

"Hahaha..."

Book of Fuxi laughed so hard that she was almost crying, clutching her stomach. Between laughs, she met Fu Hua's dark expression and teased.

"You blockhead, I don't remember you having this talent!"

"...It's another world," Fu Hua emphasized wearily.

Then she glanced at her ridiculous reflection in the image, utterly exasperated.

As for musical instruments, she might be able to play the flute a little, as well as the guqin or guzheng.

But the erhu...

She had never even touched it!

"I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry. When I return after completing my studies, I'll definitely lend you a hand!"

After leaving those apologetic words behind, Water's Edge stylishly smashed through the window and left, further exacerbating the already strained school finances.

"Wow, did she learn this on the spot?!"

Tesla couldn't help but mutter upon seeing this.

"And what is she planning to learn? The suona and erhu?"

Based on Water's Edge's recollection of the scene just now, coupled with her words, it wasn't hard to guess her intentions.

However, Tesla couldn't imagine what use those two prodigies of the suona and erhu could possibly have.

Raven shrugged nonchalantly and casually remarked,

"Perhaps she wants to debut with the suona and erhu as her highlights?"

Hearing this, Mei tried to imagine Water's Edge performing the erhu and suona at concerts after learning them.

The bizarre image made her shake her head instantly, a forced smile playing on her lips.

"...Nobody would like that, would they?"

No matter how you looked at it, modern idols and Shenzhou's traditional suona and erhu didn't seem to match at all.

Besides, if she remembered correctly, the instrument called the suona... seemed to be played only at funerals.

Playing the suona at a concert... are they afraid of not scaring people?

"Don't go! Hero!"

Selune's Elegy watched Water's Edge disappear from sight, tears welling in her eyes.

But...

She immediately turned her attention to the only other ELF in the classroom besides herself.

"Book of Fuxi! You're all I have now! You can't leave!"

Selune's Elegy grabbed the fast-asleep, eye-patch-wearing Book of Fuxi and shook her violently, tears streaming down her face.

"...?"

Book of Fuxi, startled awake by the sudden movement, looked bewildered.

Meanwhile, Selune's gaze fell on Jingwei's Wings, who was dragging her suitcase and preparing to make a quick getaway.

She clenched her fist and said confidently,

"Don't worry, Jingwei's Wings! We'll definitely save Doll Academy! Please cheer us on!"

"...Huh?"

Amidst a sea of confusion,

Selune's Elegy, carrying the mysterious Book of Fuxi and Jingwei's Wings, began her efforts to save Doll Academy from bankruptcy!

Of course, it seems that only Selune and Jingwei's Wings were putting in the effort. As for Book of Fuxi...

While the two were training, she squatted in a corner, munching on a bun the size of a washbasin.

"The bun Book of Fuxi is eating looks really delicious~"

Watching the simple and honest Book of Fuxi happily munching on her bun, Kiana couldn't help but feel a pang of emotion.

Indeed, seeing Book of Fuxi so enthusiastically devouring a steamed bun made her a little tempted to try that basin-sized bun herself.

Cecilia paused for a moment upon hearing this, then smiled gently.

"Steamed buns?... Hmm, I'll try making some later~"

"Yay!"

Kiana exclaimed excitedly before muttering under her breath,

"But I still prefer Mei's steamed buns..."

Slap!

A heavy chop landed, and Kiana clutched her head.

Cecilia spoke rather irritably.

"So picky."

"Alright... I'm going back to St. Freya soon anyway, so I'll make some for you then~"

Mei found it somewhat amusing but still prepared to indulge Kiana's wish.

But speaking of which, ever since she started cooking, she hadn't really spent much time in the kitchen.

These scenes unfolded before Kiana's eyes.

A hint of envy flickered across her indifferent eyes before returning to their usual coldness, and she became calm once more.

"Why not give it a try?"

Durandal, who had somehow moved closer, asked in a low voice. She had noticed "Kiana's" unusual reaction to those heartwarming scenes countless times before.

"You should understand. Even if it were you... Cecilia-senpai and Siegfried-senpai could accept it, right?"

Understanding Finality's yearning for that warmth, yet seeing her remain hesitant and merely observe, Durandal couldn't comprehend it at all.

Indeed, Kiana's status as the Herrscher of Finality was enough to intimidate outsiders like Otto and Kevin, and even friends like Bronya and Seele, who had witnessed the deaths of other versions of themselves, making them afraid to approach her.

But whether it was Cecilia or Kiana, through their brief interaction, Durandal clearly understood that those connected to them wouldn't hold much resentment toward Kiana because of the sins she bore.

Kiana merely glanced at Durandal, a slight ripple appearing in her indifferent golden eyes. She made no attempt to hide her feelings, stating bluntly.

"I'm afraid."

Those words startled Durandal.

The Herrscher of Finality... what could she be afraid of?

No...

More importantly... why was she afraid?

Before Durandal could say anything more, Kiana's cold voice rang in her ears.

"Instead of worrying about me, you should worry about yourself first... idiot."

"..."

Durandal was somewhat stunned.

What did she mean?

Worry about me?

What did I have to worry about...?

Durandal frowned, her fingers tracing the fabric of her clothes, completely clueless.

But "Kiana" had already closed her eyes again, no longer speaking.

She understood that Kiana no longer intended to talk to her.

Unlike those focused on the images or other matters, Otto, having listened to the entire brief conversation between Kiana and Durandal, slowly smiled.

The scene shifted.

Besides the three struggling ELFs, the other dolls also had experiences of their own.

Back home, Blood Embrace started playing games and successfully achieved second place.

Excited, she wanted to share it with her friends, but instead of her best friend Selune, Judah was there, clutching the controller.

"As the leader, aren't you going to help her?" the understanding Judah asked.

The response was, of course, silence.

Judah tactfully comforted the dejected Blood Embrace. The scene was quite harmonious.

Of course, what might be even more noteworthy was...

We'll never know how many uses Judah has!

It can be used to fight on the battlefield or as a shield to boost morale.

It can even provide comfort when you're feeling down.

Judah is simply amazing!

"Judah is so convenient!"

Wendy rested her chin on her hand, and Seele nodded in agreement.

Of course, this scene didn't escape Black Seele's notice, causing her to turn her head away disdainfully.

"Tch, not even as good as me."

The scene shifted to the other side— that is, Sirin's house.

"Teriri is forever!"

"Teriri! Teriri! Teriri~ Teriri!"

Sirin, a fervent fan, sat in her computer chair, cheering for the magical girl Teriri, who was bathed in the spotlight on the computer screen, waving her glow stick in perfect rhythm.

This scene greatly displeased Theresa and the Herrscher of the Void.

Especially the Herrscher of the Void, who wished she could rush into that world and snatch the glow stick from her foolish self.

Sirin liking such shameful things—it was truly embarrassing!

Of course, Bella, who was hiding outside the door and observing everything, shared the same dissatisfaction.

"Ugh, damn it!"

She gritted her teeth, glaring at the idol who inspired such fervor in her Queen, and spoke enviously.

"She's just an idol. What's so great about her? Why does Her Majesty like her so much?"

The next instant, a brilliant idea flashed through Bella's mind. She quickly racked her brains.

"Oh... wait, Her Majesty likes... idols! If... I become an idol too, Her Majesty will like me even more!"

With her plan in motion, Bella instantly remembered Selune's Elegy, who had mentioned the word "idol."

To win back her beloved Queen, what was there to hesitate about?!

Watching Bella's eager gaze—more like a dog yearning for praise than a dragon—Kiana couldn't help but smile as she reached out to pat Bella's head.

"Bella's cute too..."

Indeed, Bella felt no shame whatsoever at having her plans revealed on screen.

Of course!

Expressing love for the Queen is absolutely nothing to be ashamed of!

The scene shifted to Little Tesla's house.

"I'm back."

Tesla, busy repairing her machinery, didn't even look up as she responded, casually remarking,

"Yeah, school's out pretty early today."

"Well, the school's closing down, after all."

Little Tesla casually uttered the news that startled Tesla.

"Huh?"

"Those guys were talking about becoming idols to save the school. It's hilarious, hahaha..."

Little Tesla chuckled.

But in that instant, those two sensitive words struck Tesla like a bolt from the blue, awakening a painful memory.

"Idol."

Tesla trembled, not even noticing the screwdriver rolling from her hand onto the floor.

That day, she finally recalled the fear of being dominated by the green cabbage headed girl with the silver cup and the dodo with the golden cup, as well as the humiliation that had seeped into her bones.

"In my opinion, it's better to face reality and give up illusions..."

"Little Tesla!"

Tesla grabbed Little Tesla by the shoulders as she spoke. Little Tesla froze in stunned silence, her eyes vacant as Tesla kept muttering,

"Go become an idol!"

"Go become an idol! Make it happen for me! Go become an idol!"

"Hey, hey, hey, calm down..."

This nearly delirious expression sent a chill down Little Tesla's spine.

"Uh... could it be that Dr. Tesla has a dark history of trying to become an idol but failing?"

Seeing Tesla's seemingly cursed expression, Bronya scratched her cheek, glanced at Tesla, and asked uncertainly.

Tesla's brow twitched, and she retorted without hesitation.

"No way!"

"How could this genius waste her talent on something like becoming an idol?!"

"...Undeniably, Dr. Tesla doesn't possess the talent to be an idol," Einstein said calmly.

"Wanted to be an idol, but got rejected."

"Although I don't recall that happening, it's possible that in another world, Dr. Tesla might have had such an experience."

Sensing the insult, Tesla spat and retorted angrily,

"Pah! Mophead! A mere idol? This genius could easily become one!"

"Even in another world, with my genius's wisdom, I believe I would definitely achieve final victory!"

"Like the Honkai Grand Sports Meet?"

Tesla instantly fell silent.

"Damn it, don't get too cocky, Mophead! If I don't have a good time, neither will you!"

Unable to refute her, Tesla, in a fit of rage, activated her "Seven Injury Fist" mode.

"Anyway, we're basically a duo."

"I've been outmaneuvered, and you're not getting away either!"

"Ah... sorry, I'm not as enthusiastic about activities that please others as you are, Dr. Tesla~"

Einstein, unfazed by her words, calmly replied.

The scene shifted to the next day, just hours before the academy's closure.

Outside the window, the sky was overcast and a light drizzle was falling. It seemed even the heavens were against them.

Jingwei's Wings looked at Selune's Elegy with concern, but Selune seemed quite optimistic about the situation. She gave a thumbs-up and grinned.

"Haha, Jingwei's Wings, don't worry! Everything will be fine."

"It's almost time. Time to go!"

"Selune!"

"Ha, don't worry."

Faced with Jingwei's Wings' concern, Selune's Elegy smiled nonchalantly, then picked up Book of Fuxi, who was munching on a steamed bun, turned, and strode toward her battlefield.

"We are the guides of the abyss!"

"This is the trial predestined by fate!"

---

Chapter 262: Erhu and Suona Players Teach people how to DJ

"Damn, it's on fire!"

Watching Selune's Elegy take that resolute step in the video, many people felt the same way.

Of course, that was assuming you ignored the childish, last-minute cram session beforehand that left you wondering what it had to do with becoming an idol.

"So embarrassing..."

Looking at herself being carried around while still munching on a steamed bun, Book of Fuxi couldn't help covering her face with her hands, feeling utterly ashamed.

You can sleep in class, sleep during training, and eat steamed buns. That's one thing.

But going on stage as if you're heading into battle while still holding a steamed bun?

I just have to ask, is that steamed bun really that delicious? Can I have half of it?

The patter of raindrops mingled on the ground, forming streams, while flashes of lightning occasionally streaked across the overcast sky, adding to the somber mood.

On the prepared stage, Selune repeatedly patted Book of Fuxi's fair belly, her movements resembling someone beating a drum.

In the principal's office, Raven dejectedly packed her belongings.

The students scattered across the campus because of the heavy rain.

Of course, the figure sitting on a small stool on the rooftop, dressed like an old doorman, was undeniably amusing.

Raven's eyes widened in surprise.

"Lord... you were a security guard in that world?"

Come to think of it, I'm the headmaster of the Doll Academy, aren't I?

If Kevin were a security guard...

Yay, the roles of superior and subordinate have been reversed!

"Damn it, I won't give up! Someone will definitely appreciate my performance!"

In the scene, Selune, soaked to the bone, gritted her teeth. Her determination remained unwavering, showing no sign of being defeated by this setback.

Of course, from Book of Fuxi's perspective:

I acknowledge your determination, but...

Why am I a musical instrument?!

Fuxi-chan glared angrily at Selune, who was using her belly as a drum on the screen, her face full of resentment.

Einstein raised a finger and spoke seriously, "Perhaps it's because they're too poor, so they're trying to save money?"

A drum costs a lot of money, but feeding Book of Fuxi steamed buns and using her as a drum is much cheaper.

This conclusion made Book of Fuxi's face flush red before turning pale.

She was so angry that she wanted to devour eight big white steamed buns.

However, a change in the scene caught everyone's attention.

"Hahahaha!"

A bald man with a large face, wearing a suit, appeared in front of the stage, laughing loudly as he looked the stage up and down.

"There are quite a few valuable things here," he remarked.

With a wave of his hand, he ordered,

"Take it all away!"

"Wait, the performance isn't over yet!" Selune's Elegy exclaimed in shock.

"Here, here, here, and here!"

But Brother Dawei ignored her, continuing his arrogant commands.

"Hey, hey, hey, hey! I'm going to build villas all over this place! Hahahahaha!"

"What an annoying guy..." Seele frowned at the sight, clearly displeased. She really didn't have a good impression of this big-faced man.

"Truly despicable!" Bronya wholeheartedly agreed, equally indignant.

Of course, she wasn't just echoing Seele's dislike for Brother Dawei. More importantly, the Homu under Brother Dawei's command had actually forced righteous Homu to commit such an evil deed. It was unforgivable!

If the other party were standing in front of her, Bronya would absolutely not hesitate to let them experience the iron fist of Project Bunny.

Mei, however, facepalmed.

This Brother Dawei with the long, thin face had appeared in their memories more than once.

There had been the exam questions, Project Ring, and the Honkai Grand Sports Meet.

Leaving Project Ring aside, Brother Dawei had once again played the villain in this Doll Academy.

Mei suddenly began to wonder whether this guy named Brother Dawei was simply destined to play as the villain.

Looking at the smug, laughing Brother Dawei on the screen, she couldn't help twitching her lips.

"That classic villain routine..."

As everyone knows, villains never have a good ending.

So...

A sudden, urgent motorcycle engine roared, instantly catching Bronya's attention.

A motorcycle! It's a motorcycle! Such a fast motorcycle!

The motorcycle arrived like lightning, successfully carrying out the righteous act of defeating the villain, single-handedly sending Brother Dawei flying in a beautiful arc through the air, accompanied, of course, by his screams.

"Wow—"

Looking at Blood Embrace getting off the motorcycle, removing her sunglasses, and picking up Judah, everyone couldn't help gasping in amazement.

Another strange use of the term.

Of course, Bronya frowned unhappily.

—I don't really approve of your red motorcycle.

Blue Blue Blue

A wisp of mist, almost dripping with resentment, rose above Bronya's head.

"Yo, How could such a fun event be complete without your boss?"

"My servant, I never expected you to come."

Facing the tearful and moved Selune's Elegy, Blood Embrace grinned.

"I'm not the only one here~"

"Look behind you."

At those words, Selune turned around and saw Tesla Zero and Bella, each carrying their own instrument.

"Hi, hello there!" "For Your Majesty~"

Upholding their own beliefs and pursuits, they had come to this place to become idols!

Of course, what was even more surprising was that the instruments they were playing were actually quite normal.

Look at Selune's instrument: the Book of Fuxi. Then Blood Embrace: Judah.

It was already surprising enough that those two hadn't come up with some bizarre instrument.

"Waaah, Little Tesla, Bella!"

However, this touching moment didn't end there. The dolls wouldn't be absent either.

In the next instant, background music filled with the atmosphere of ancient Chinese fantasy began to play. Then dazzling sunlight pierced through the rain clouds that had made Mei feel uneasy.

A sharp sword light cleaved the sky, and with the accompanying background music, the rain clouds instantly dissipated.

Illuminated by a rainbow, Water's Edge walked through the air on her sword like an immortal. At that moment, she looked like a savior as she smiled broadly.

"Selune, I'm here!"

Water's Edge's godlike entrance immediately made Seele exclaim sincerely,

"Water's Edge is so cool!"

At such a crucial moment, a dashing entrance complete with its own background music truly exuded the aura of a protagonist.

"Eh... Ah... No way..." Water's Edge shyly covered her face.

Even so, she peeked through her fingers at the screen, eagerly anticipating her own performance and those of the other dolls.

"Great Hero!"

Seeing the last companion arrive and even dispel the gloomy weather, Selune's Elegy instantly burst into tears.

Blood Embrace, wearing sunglasses and holding Judah in her arms, smiled, raised a hand, and shouted amid the cheers of the crowd.

"Now that everyone's here, let the show begin!"

The exciting concert instantly resounded throughout the venue, attracting everyone's attention. Even the Zombies in the distance noticed the commotion.

The lead archer Zombie stared blankly at the crowd, but in the next instant, her expression changed drastically.

"Huh? What are they doing... Hey?! Isn't that... Water's Edge!?"

"A concert! This is definitely a concert!"

"Meow!"

"Wait, this is her concert! Won't she be angry if we don't go?"

The Scythe Zombie looked frantic and terrified, while another Zombie, who had been playing dead, suddenly declared.

"You... are already dead!"

Her hardcore demeanor left the other Zombies speechless.

"Guys, let's go! Grab your gear and let's support Young Hero!"

"A bunch of ignorant little brats, actually getting in the way of my villa project!"

Brother Dawei, battered and covered in tire marks, stubbornly tried to get back up and take revenge.

But in the next instant, he was swallowed by a sea of shadows.

"Eh...!? Whoa—"

After experiencing a mixture of surprise, fear, and countless trampling feet, Brother Dawei, the villain, met his inhumane end beneath the stampede.

"...So pitiful."

Seele, who had initially found Brother Dawei utterly detestable, now felt a trace of sympathy.

After being sent flying by the protagonist, he still wasn't finished. In the end, he was done in by the fan club.

"But why do those Zombies seem so afraid of Water's Edge...?"

Seele couldn't quite understand. No, rather than wondering why the Zombies feared Water's Edge, the real question was what exactly they feared and why they behaved so much like humans.

Zombies are supposed to be fearless creatures.

However, whether that still held true in that prank-filled world could be guessed from the situation.

"Something must have happened before that was enough to make them submit."

"But those Zombies feel more like gangsters than Zombies. They give me a strong sense of déjà vu."

Himiko smirked as she looked at the Zombies, feeling that familiar sense of déjà vu.

"Seriously, shouldn't you all be paying more attention to that instrument?"

Tesla was utterly speechless.

Amid everyone's bewilderment, she said irritably,

"Why did a suona player and an erhu player end up producing a DJ?!"

Watching the fingers on the screen skillfully work the turntables with the dexterity of an elf, Tesla was thoroughly perplexed.

Joyce, however, was unfazed. Waving his hand, he spoke.

"Well... it's a comedy world after all. Who knows? Maybe Fu Hua in that world can do everything. In that case, playing musical instruments isn't a problem at all."

Fu Hua remained expressionless upon hearing that.

To be honest, I suspect you're subtly persecuting me.

Doll Academy Office

"This is the last box. Farewell to this academy. Farewell to the office where I could nap every afternoon..."

Raven clutched the last box, tears streaming down her face, as he looked around the office with deep reluctance.

But the next moment, she was stunned by the commotion outside the window.

"Huh? What's all that noise outside...?"

"Eh...?!"

Looking out the window, she immediately saw the academy stage packed with people. Raven's face filled with confusion.

[Schicksal TV: Shocking! The Doll Academy on the Verge of Closure...]

"Viewers, do you see that? Behind me is the Doll Academy concert. The atmosphere here is incredibly lively. You might be surprised that a school on the verge of closure has suddenly become so vibrant. Well, even this reporter is quite shocked. As for why—"

Otto, microphone in hand, chattered away as a Schicksal TV reporter, displaying his professionalism with one meaningless sentence after another, making people want to say:

"So old-fashioned!"

[World Serpent Police stated that the suspect, Herrscher of Sentience, has been released on bail and is undergoing labor reform at Mount Taixu. Our reporter will be reporting live tonight at 6:00 PM.]

Unfortunately, his attempt at building suspense was interrupted. Raven kicked Otto away, grabbed the microphone, and enthusiastically began advertising, her eyes gleaming.

"Thank you for supporting Doll Academy! Enrollment for the new semester is now open. If you're interested, please call the principal's hotline!"

While advertising, she didn't forget to shout at Shamash, who was playing as the gatekeeper at the school entrance.

"Shamash, did you collect the concert tickets?!"

"The Overseer from that world has actually become a reporter?"

Bianka was somewhat surprised, but Otto himself merely smiled.

Didn't you see that ice-faced guy beside him running off to guard the gate and play as a doorman? Being a reporter wasn't shameful at all.

However, he definitely wouldn't approve of that overly sensational tabloid-style delivery.

"Ahem, I think what's more noteworthy than His Holiness the Overseer... is actually that news bulletin, right?" Rita coughed lightly,

then pointed at the news ticker that had appeared at the bottom of the screen.

Naturally, everyone had noticed it. After all, it was the second most eye-catching thing after Otto.

"World Serpent in that world... is actually a police organization...?"

Kiana found the report hard to believe.

After all, the World Serpent they knew had always been plotting Project Stigma and sending countless people to their deaths. Calling it a terrorist organization wouldn't have been an exaggeration.

Yet in that world, it had become an official institution.

Of course, what was probably even more absurd was...

Herrscher of Sentience had been released on bail.

What is bail?

Only criminals need bail.

But Herrscher of Sentience, who controlled consciousness, had committed a crime.

Just imagining it, based on their existing impression of her, it wasn't hard to conclude that Herrscher of Sentience was the kind of troublesome person who acted like a lawless outlaw.

"What exactly happened...?"

Kiana was curious. What crime could Herrscher of Sentience have committed to end up being arrested?

—Mount Taixu—

The former site of Taixu Temple, inexplicably desolate, looked as though it had been struck by a meteorite.

Holding a cup of tea, Fu Hua, dressed in ancient attire, watched Water's Edge on TV. Seeing her DJ so skillfully during the concert, she remarked in surprise.

"I never expected Water's Edge could do this!"

"I taught her."

Herrscher of Sentience chimed in at just the right moment, drawing Fu Hua's attention.

"Hmm?"

Back at her post, rubbing green vegetable sprouts with both hands, Herrscher of Sentience clicked her tongue.

"Sigh, Old Timer, I don't think you understand at all. Water's Edge is truly gifted in music. She picks it up instantly."

---

Chapter 263: Seele is the cutest girl in the world

The practiced, almost comical motion of rubbing pickled vegetables by the Herrscher of Sentience perfectly mirrored Water's Edge's DJing style.

The implication couldn't be clearer.

"Wow, I was wondering how a two-stringed fiddle player and a suona player could produce a DJ!"

Tesla's jaw dropped. She was speechless.

"So, this DJ style was learned from rubbing pickled vegetables?!"

Welt, a music connoisseur, was also taken aback. He coughed twice and forced a smile, commenting:

"Ahem... to be able to apply the skill of rubbing pickled vegetables to being a Dj, it seems Water's Edge truly has a natural talent for music."

"Pickled vegetables... DJ..."

Seele slightly raised her head as the two items flashed through her mind.

But before she could reach a conclusion, a Homu with double Roman curls darted out in a stroller and snatched both items away.

"What's wrong, Seele?"

Turning her head, she saw Bronya looking at her curiously.

Seele shook her head slightly, then scratched her cheek and whispered:

"N-nothing... just found it a bit unbelievable. Hmm... amazing, Water's Edge is really amazing."

"But Mount Taixu looks rather devastated, like it's been through a major battle."

After Seele's suggestion, everyone noticed the ruin-like background.

"Wasn't the Herrscher of Sentience released on bail and sent to a labor camp on Mount Taixu? Maybe this is her handiwork."

Tesla, however, was unconvinced. She crossed her arms, looked at the image, and scoffed.

"But that so-called labor camp, is it just making pickled vegetables?"

"That's Pickled Spring," Fu Hua corrected her.

"Pickled Spring? What's that?"

Book of Fuxi sighed at the question, somewhat wearily, and spoke.

"It's just pickled vegetables... the special kind of pickled vegetables for blockhead. That girl used to like a steamed bun with a bite of pickled vegetables."

"...Isn't that still pickled vegetables?" Tesla smirked.

In the scene, the ELF's performance reached its climax, eliciting cheers from the entire audience.

The concert drew a large crowd, and among the cheering crowd, Kiana, Mei, Bronya... Sirin, Tesla—basically everyone made an appearance.

It was a major highlight.

Amid the emotional tears of teachers and students, some strange figures mingled into the sea of people at the concert.

For example, there was the pink-haired Rosalia, dissatisfied with the cabbage-flavored grilled flying fish balls, who decided to storm the stall and grill the vendor to cook an authentic flying fish ball dish.

Luckily, her owner reacted quickly and snatched her back.

This scene made Seele chuckle, covering her mouth. "Rosalia from that world was just as picky about food."

Back in the orphanage, the Olenyeva sisters were known for their pickiness.

Bronya sighed, gently tapping Seele's head, and spoke, somewhat exasperatedly, "Seele isn't much better."

"Um... I just don't like spicy food... I'm not picky..."

Seele retorted weakly, looking aggrieved.

She preferred sweets, so she didn't have much of an appetite for spicy dishes.

But she ate all the normal vegetables!

In the scene, the restless Rosalia discovered something new.

"Lilia, look! There are colorful Nian Beast here!"

"Wow, it's a new breed!"

The Olenyeva sisters were incredibly excited, but Tesla, at that moment, spat out her drink, staring in utter astonishment at the sunglasses-wearing, sly-smiling girl in the frame. She spoke, speechless,

"Isn't that Herrscher of Sentience?"

"No, she was just rummaging around on Mount Taixu a moment ago. How did she end up setting up a stall at a concert so quickly?"

Tesla looked at the Herrscher of Sentience in the frame with disbelief.

"Could it be that Mount Taixu is actually right next door?"

"If that's the case, then..."

After all, the school had only been closed for a short time. Water's Edge's round trip, regardless of the absurd speed of her learning, raised serious questions about the distance involved.

If Mount Taixu were nearby, that would explain it.

Einstein, however, calmly stated.

"Looking for logic in a comedic world is too unrealistic."

Tesla was instantly speechless.

Indeed, she'd be out of her mind to try to find rationality in a comedic world.

Wasn't that just making herself look stupid?

In the scene, the Herrscher of Sentience, dressed like a shrewd businessman, held up a brightly colored Jingwei, grinning as she spoke.

"Oh, this little kid's interested in my Seven-Colored Nian Beast too?"

"This is a rare breed, only seen once every hundred years on Mount Taixu. If you want it, you'll have to..."

Before she could finish her act of tricking the brat with this dyed red-feathered chicken, another angry roar rang out.

"It's over there—!!"

"Give me back the Nian Beast!"

Upon closer inspection, it was indeed Jingwei from Mount Taixu, or rather, Fu Hua.

"Whoa!"

Herrscher of Sentience panicked upon seeing her master, her sunglasses tilting askew.

Jingwei, arriving in a flash, showed no mercy. Her eyes blazed as she stared at the so-called "The Seven-Colored Nian Beast" in Herrscher of Sentience's hand, roaring without regard for her image:

"You dared to take them to dye your hair without permission! And you're planning to sell them afterward?!"

"What's the problem?! I just wanted to generate revenue for Taixu Mountain," Herrscher of Sentience retorted.

"When will you ever be able to live a life of luxury by just rubbing that damned Pickled Spring?!"

"We're clearly finding a new home for Jingwei, improving their lives, and generating revenue for Mount Taixu."

"Give it back to me!!"

"No!"

Amid the so-called Seven-Colored Nian Beast, the serene and detached Jingwei, and the Herrscher of Sentience, a classic con artist, began fiercely vying for it.

Watching this scene unfold, Mei couldn't help but facepalm, a sense of understanding dawning on her.

"...I suddenly guessed what crime Herrscher of Sentience committed before."

Fraud! It's definitely fraud!

Judging by her appearance, she's clearly a seasoned criminal.

"Herrscher of Sentience, once a respectable figure, has become a con artist... that's really..."

Theresa sighed, glancing at Fu Hua.

Noticing the gaze, Fu Hua's face darkened.

What does this mean?

Herrscher of Sentience's fraudulent activities have nothing to do with me, Fu Hua.

Besides, I was the victim in that world!

However... it seems she did set a bad precedent.

But that was in an emergency, and she was prepared to apologize, okay?

Recalling Fu Hua's self-comforting monologue during her previous telecom fraud attempt, her rambling, incoherent manner made Otto's lips curl into a smile.

It was rare to see his old friend in such an embarrassed state.

At this moment, the Feather that Fu Hua carried witnessed this scene, its luster even more pronounced than before.

Back on screen, Lilia, after being affected several times and with bandages on her head, complained wearily...

"Ugh, change the performer! Lilia doesn't want to get hurt again!"

"Ahem, welcome back everyone. The performer behind us is..."

Before Lilia could finish her explanation, former reporter Otto rushed out, clutching a body pillow of Teriri, the magical girl that had instilled murderous intent in Theresa.

"Waaaaah! I don't believe it!"

Otto yelled indignantly, shouting.

"The world's cutest idol is our Teriri! What those little brats on stage can possibly do to surpass her!!"

Just then, Black Seele, clutching a Seele-printed pillow, jumped out. Holding the pillow, she sneered disdainfully.

"Hmph, the cutest person in the world is clearly my Seele! What's so great about your magic pink bunny?!"

Otto instantly flew into a rage. "How dare you speak ill of our world's cutest Teriri! Unforgivable!"

"So what if I said it?! The cutest person in the world is our Seele!" Black Seele retorted dismissively, adopting a "take it or leave it" attitude.

The two, each clinging to their own opinions, clashed, creating a tense atmosphere.

"It's Teriri!" "It's Seele!"

In a battle reminiscent of the sweet-vs.-savory debate, the two launched into an angry fight to eliminate the dissident!

"Nonsense! The cutest girl in the world is clearly Rosalia!"

"Watch me, Super Headbutt!"

"Hey!"

"Sigh, never mind, director, just cut the signal."

The scene ended there.

"Your Excellency..."

Bianka twitched her lips, somewhat speechless.

"Hahaha."

Otto, however, was carefree, completely unconcerned about his own outburst in that world.

After all, it was a comedy world.

Besides, even if it were him now, he would definitely defend the adorable Theresa's position in that situation, right?!

"I understand."

Rita smiled and nodded.

"Grandpa..."

Theresa was a little stunned.

She thought it was raining, but it turns out it was him who left her speechless.

"...Another... me..."

Seele's face turned completely red. She didn't know what to say about Black Seele and Otto's heated argument, or even their physical fight, all for the sake of being the cutest.

She wanted to calm down and talk to Black Seele, but Black Seele wouldn't see her at all, simply disappearing on the spot.

Bronya nodded expressionlessly, then gave a thumbs up.

"Yeah, Seele is the cutest in the world!"

"Bronya Onee-chan!"

Seeing Bronya Onee-chan chime in, Seele couldn't help but feel a little annoyed, but because of her temperament, she could only stomp her foot to express her displeasure.

"Speaking of which, these two sisters are really everywhere. They've appeared in Project Ring, they've appeared in the sports meet, and I remember they even appeared in that Shenzhou Immortal Journey before..."

Himeko recounted the number of times the Olenyeva sisters had appeared and couldn't help but sigh.

"I guess it's more suitable. Those two sisters are a bit bratty, but they're quite lively, aren't they?"

Theresa crossed her arms and smiled, saying:

"With their appearance, although there will be a lot of trouble, at least it won't end in a sad way."

Brainy kids are indeed quite annoying.

But the Olenyeva sisters are more than just brats...

Those two, while causing trouble, manage to bring smiles to others.

Of course, the person involved is probably completely unaware of this.

Given the sisters' behavior, the person involved is likely to show a snarling expression rather than a smile.

"...Speaking of which, it seems like my grandfather in other worlds always play the good-guy roles."

Theresa stroked her chin, then secretly glanced at Otto.

Whether it was the one at the Honkai Grand Games, or this one, or even Father Otto in the Sea of Quanta, these different grandfathers had all left a deep impression on her.

Ever since she turned against her grandfather, Theresa had always regretted why her grandfather couldn't become a good person like those Ottos in other worlds.

That way, she wouldn't have to turn against her grandfather for the sake of those around her.

During this time, Water's Edge also received her reward.

With a flash of golden light.

Water's Edge obtained a musical note-shaped pendant.

"This is..."

Kiana paused, squinted at it, and couldn't help but exclaim, "Mei, Mei, this looks just like yours!!"

"Hmm... it does look quite similar," Mei nodded undeniably after examining it.

She gestured for Water's Edge to activate the pendant's properties:

【Sha Nagba Imuru (Music Limited)】

[Like starlight, it can traverse all musical scores on Earth, mastering the playing techniques of all music and instruments.]

[While it may not be as powerful as the original in combat... in terms of musical artistry alone, the possessor will undoubtedly become number one in music.]

[Effect 1: Mastery of all musical scores and instrument playing techniques from ancient times to the present.]

[Effect 2: Indestructible.]

[Restriction: Unlimited]

[Note: What a shortcut, huh?]

As expected.

Mei had an expression of complete certainty.

She reached under her clothes and pulled out the [Sha Nagba Imuru (Mei Limited)] item.

Judging from the item descriptions, the two items were practically identical, the only difference being that one was culinary and the other musical—they were practically twins.

"No. 1 music... I wonder how it compares to Eden..."

Seeing the Sha Nagba Imuru (Music Limited)'s attributes, Fu Hua couldn't help but wonder which would prevail between it and Eden.

Eden was hailed as a gem of the previous era, her singing voice undeniably soul-stirring.

"Eden..."

Speaking of this name, Kevin and Su also showed a hint of interest.

Before joining Fire Moth, they were loyal fans of Eden, even skipping class to attend an Eden concert before Honkai fully unleashed its power.

They understood the allure of Eden's music all too well.

This item, called Sha Nagba Imuru, is said to make its owner the undisputed number one.

"The world's number one music... I can't wait!"

Seele's eyes sparkled with excitement.

Aside from a few silent individuals, everyone was curious about this number one music.

"Water's Edge, sing a song!"

Seeing everyone's curiosity, and herself quite intrigued, Fu Hua urged Water's Edge to try singing.

"Hmm... that's not a good idea, Master."

Water's Edge hesitated. Singing in front of so many people was a bit much for her, even after her fall from grace.

"It's alright."

Encouraged by Fu Hua, the hesitant Water's Edge nodded in agreement.

"...Well, here I come!"

She took a deep breath, met the expectant gazes of the crowd, and slowly began to speak

---

*Chapter 264: Thank You All for Staying by Her Side*

"Good, very good! Excellent!"

The crowd's evaluation of Water's Edge's singing was surprisingly unanimous.

"Eh... it's not that good, is it?"

Water's Edge, resting her chin on her hand, felt a little embarrassed by the praise.

Su, however, was quite generous with his praise.

"No need to be modest. This voice, even compared to the former Eden, is a cut above the rest."

Hearing this, Fu Hua couldn't help but sigh softly.

"If Eden were still here, she would definitely have a lot in common with her."

"Hmm, isn't there another Eden in that place called the Elysian Realm?"

Wendy asked, puzzled.

Fu Hua paused for a moment before replying calmly,

"...That's just a memory."

"But they still possess the ability to think for themselves, right?"

"Indeed... but ultimately, they're not the same person they used to be."

Otto smiled upon hearing this.

Simply possessing memories didn't mean someone was the same person they once were.

For him, this was an answer he had already obtained through countless trials.

At that moment, another question appeared.

*[16. What is Fu Hua's birthday?]*

It was a very short fill-in-the-blank question.

But upon seeing it, everyone was simultaneously stunned.

"Ugh... Class Monitor's birthday? Isn't this a freebie?"

Kiana initially looked like she thought the question was easy. Then she suddenly froze, turned to Fu Hua, and asked in disbelief.

"Wait, Class Monitor has a birthday?"

Cecilia lightly chopped Kiana on the head and spoke irritably.

"How can someone not have a birthday? Fu Hua didn't just spring out of a rock."

"Logically speaking, Fu Hua has been at St. Freya for almost a year now." Theresa stroked her chin thoughtfully. "I've never actually seen her celebrate her birthday."

"Because she never mentioned it... Class Monitor has never told us about it."

Hearing Mei's words, Otto fell into deep thought before feeling a little embarrassed.

Upon reflection, although he had known this old friend for almost five hundred years, he didn't even know her birthday.

Of course, that was also because Otto himself didn't celebrate birthdays.

Birthdays were something he had only started paying attention to after his adorable granddaughter was born.

"Hua's birthday..."

Su and Kevin, Hua's comrades, were also stunned by the question.

Indeed, even they didn't know the answer.

"Since it's a question about Class Monitor Fu Hua, then Class Monitor herself must know, right?"

Seele immediately pointed out the obvious, causing Kiana to slap her thigh before looking at Fu Hua like a curious child.

"Class Monitor, Class Monitor, when's your birthday?"

Unexpectedly...

"Birthday...?"

Even Fu Hua herself looked confused upon hearing those two words.

She tried hard to recall the information.

"My birthday is..."

After a long moment, Fu Hua looked dejected and apologized.

"Sorry, I don't remember."

"Huh? Really? You don't even remember your own birthday?"

Tesla stood with her hands on her hips, utterly speechless.

"Birthdays are supposed to be important, aren't they?"

Even so, judging from Fu Hua's expression, she genuinely couldn't remember her own birthday.

"Sigh."

Just as everyone looked troubled, Book of Fuxi sighed wearily.

"Your birthday is February 9th, you blockhead!"

With everyone's attention now on her, she spoke helplessly.

"What's wrong with all of you? Comrades-in-arms, friends, old friends... and none of you even know her own birthday?"

"But it's also her own fault. Even she can't remember her own birthday."

"...Luckily, those two specifically told me to do this."

Book of Fuxi muttered with her arms crossed, looking annoyed.

The stunned Fu Hua naturally knew who Book of Fuxi was referring to.

Nuwa... Fuxi...

Recalling the smiles of those two people, a complicated expression appeared in her eyes.

"Class Monitor's birthday is February 9th..."

Seele rested her chin on her hand. Thinking about the current date outside, she couldn't help showing a hint of regret.

"It's already passed..."

Outside, it was almost September.

She had been thinking that if Fu Hua's birthday were closer, she could invite everyone to organize a birthday party for her.

In that case... it seemed they could only wait until next year.

"The answer is February 9th."

Without any controversy, Fu Hua gave her answer.

*[Correct answer!]*

The predictable result appeared.

Surprisingly, a video clip followed.

The video showed a quaint house.

A familiar small figure, Book of Fuxi, hovered in the air while holding a salt shaker and searching around in confusion.

"Strange, where did I put the salt?"

The scene immediately made Book of Fuxi cover her face in embarrassment.

Holding the salt shaker while searching for it...

That was incredibly embarrassing.

"Ugh, really... of all times. Hey, you!"

While racking her brains, Book of Fuxi noticed the orange-haired youth standing nearby and immediately called out.

Startled, the youth pointed at himself.

"Me?"

"What are you standing there for? Come help me find the salt shaker!"

Book of Fuxi rolled her eyes and rebuked him.

The orange-haired youth, identified as the Captain, looked completely bewildered.

After hesitating for a moment, he spoke.

"Uh... isn't that what you're holding in your left hand?"

"What are you talking about...? Ah, really!"

Book of Fuxi looked utterly confused before noticing the salt shaker in her hand, instantly becoming embarrassed.

Feeling awkward, she quickly flew back to the stove and resumed cooking.

"My blockhead likes light flavors, so less salt, a little tofu, and a poached egg... Done!"

She tossed in a handful of noodles, sprinkled in some salt, cracked an egg, and added a piece of tofu.

Done!

A moment later, Book of Fuxi carefully smelled the noodles, radiating confidence and pride.

"Mmm, excellent color, aroma, and taste! Truly as expected of me~ Now, time to find that blockhead!"

After serving the noodles, she prepared to leave.

The Captain, standing beside her, looked puzzled.

"Blockhead?"

"Ahem, you misheard. I meant a sage, a sage. Let's go!"

Book of Fuxi coughed twice and quickly corrected herself.

After all, she had to maintain the sage's dignity in front of the blockhead.

"This Captain... he must be the one who appeared before..."

Mei stared at the dim-witted orange-haired youth on the screen, immediately recalling the scene after the previous Q&A session.

"There's no such person in Schicksal."

Otto clenched his fist and shook his head slightly.

He had specifically investigated the Captain's existence after the Q&A session. Otto was quite interested in this subordinate who spoke ill of him.

Fortunately, the investigation yielded nothing.

Book of Fuxi didn't care about the Captain. She was merely embarrassed by her earlier actions, though she also scratched her head, sensing something was off.

Judging by the scene, this must have happened while she was still with the blockhead.

But in her memory, Book of Fuxi didn't remember ever meeting this Captain.

As for forgetting the salt shaker...

Well, that probably never happened.

Puzzled, Book of Fuxi watched herself lead the Captain away to search for the blockhead.

The scene shifted.

"Ah, found you, found you. Hey, blockhead... Immortal!"

After correcting her habitual form of address, the Captain curiously asked,

"That's the Immortal?"

On a snow-covered cliff stood a solitary figure.

She looked thin and lonely, as though she might melt into the white snow at any moment and become a clear spring.

"The old plum blossoms in the courtyard exude a new fragrance. The old friends of the past are nowhere to be found."

The voice was calm and serene like that of a transcendent immortal, yet profound sorrow lingered within it.

"When I awaken, I fear it will all be a dream. I fear forgetting my origins. Where is my home?"

"How much longer can I remember the two of you...?"

The voice was barely audible, like a feather vanishing into the wind.

"Although I don't really understand it, it sounds so cool!"

Kiana, with her limited understanding, naturally couldn't fully appreciate Shenzhou's poetry, but that didn't stop her from offering a more down-to-earth assessment of Fu Hua's verses.

Besides the poetry itself, the image of Fu Hua standing alone beneath an umbrella on the snow-covered cliff possessed an indescribable beauty.

Kiana didn't quite understand it, but Book of Fuxi, who had followed Fu Hua for many years, certainly did.

Listening to those sorrowful verses, she understood that the blockhead was grieving over forgetting her two creators.

"Sigh."

Book of Fuxi sighed.

That blockhead back then had really been a handful.

Fortunately, things had changed.

Thinking of this, she glanced at Kiana, Mei, and the others before looking at Fu Hua. A relieved smile appeared on her face.

In the scene, the Immortal remained silent amid the wind and snow.

"Immortal! Immortal?... Blockhead!"

Hearing the voice calling from behind, Fu Hua turned around in surprise.

"Book of Fuxi?"

Book of Fuxi floated over with an annoyed expression.

"Why do you always hide in such strange places? I've been searching everywhere for you!"

"Sorry."

The quiet apology was quickly swallowed by the wind and snow.

Book of Fuxi sighed.

"Ah, never mind. It's your birthday today. I made you longevity noodles. Come home and eat."

"My... birthday? Birthday..."

Upon hearing the word, Fu Hua froze.

It felt completely unfamiliar.

Seeing this, Book of Fuxi looked unsurprised. She muttered to herself before solemnly declaring,

"As expected, this part of your memory is gone... Luckily, those two told me beforehand. Remember, today is your birthday!"

"If those two hadn't asked me, I wouldn't have bothered with something this troublesome. Heh heh, get ready for a big surprise!"

"...Sorry."

Book of Fuxi found the unprompted apology rather amusing. Waving her hand, she muttered.

"Oh dear, I wasn't trying to blame you! Why are you always apologizing? It makes me look like I'm bullying you..."

"You prepared everything so carefully, yet I... couldn't remember any of it. I'm sorry."

Book of Fuxi immediately understood.

After a brief pause, she looked at the apologetic Fu Hua and said,

"What's there to apologize for? Those two asked me to take care of you because you were someone they couldn't leave alone. Sigh... listen carefully."

She paused before flashing a mischievous grin and speaking with complete sincerity.

"Everything you've forgotten, I will remember for you. Your memories, your feelings, whatever you've lost—I will find it all for you!"

"You swore to protect the peace of Shenzhou, so I will protect your peace. This is my promise to them and our shared wish."

"I will continue your deeds and let your name echo throughout Shenzhou, so that more and more people will come to love you."

"That way, even if one day I'm no longer by your side, someone else will take my place... There will always be someone."

"So... go forward in peace, Guardian of Shenzhou."

Those heartfelt words deeply moved the Fu Hua watching the scene and earned the admiration, envy, and praise of Seele and the others.

No matter how one looked at it, they were incredibly moving words.

But from Book of Fuxi's perspective, although every word came from the heart...

Who would say something so embarrassing in front of so many people?

Watching herself on the screen, completely exposed while saying such cool lines, Book of Fuxi felt as though she were about to have a heart attack.

No, angina!

Back on the screen—

"...Phew..."

Looking at Book of Fuxi, who was speaking so earnestly, Fu Hua seemed to see her two former friends smiling gently.

It was like sunlight breaking through the clouds after a long storm.

Kiana couldn't help taking a quiet breath.

Compared to the present-day Fu Hua, the smile she wore in that era—a smile transforming from sorrow into genuine happiness—made Kiana feel as though she could beat up ten idiots just to celebrate it.

Book of Fuxi, however, was thoroughly embarrassed.

With her hands on her hips, she huffed.

"Hey, weren't you laughing just now? I'm embarrassed enough saying things like that! If it weren't for..."

Before she could continue, Fu Hua's sincere words interrupted her.

"Thank you, Book of Fuxi."

"Eh? Oh... you... those two were absolutely right. The gentleness deep within you has never changed."

Looking up, Book of Fuxi was momentarily stunned by that genuine smile.

A moment later, she smiled as well.

As her words faded, everything around them disappeared into darkness.

The Immortal was gone.

Only Book of Fuxi remained.

And the Captain.

"—That's it. I'm counting on you from now on."

"What...?"

While the Captain was still confused by what had just happened, Book of Fuxi smiled.

"Thank you for staying by her side."

---

Chapter 265: It Was Kalpas Who Did It

After leaving those words behind, the Captain awoke to find it had all been a dream.

Still dazed, he greeted Fu Hua, whom he happened to encounter, and, fulfilling the Book of Fuxi's request from his dream, wished her a happy birthday. This surprised Fu Hua and gave her a strange sense of déjà vu.

The image ended there.

Everyone present remained silent for a long time.

According to the normal timeline, the Book of Fuxi in that future should have been in a state of slumber due to energy depletion.

Even so, through that almost dream-like method, the Book of Fuxi had asked the Captain to convey Fu Hua's long-awaited birthday wish.

"Book of Fuxi..."

Fu Hua reached out and hugged the Book of Fuxi, her eyes filled with emotions too complicated to describe.

The Book of Fuxi seemed affected by those emotions as well, but realizing that so many people were watching, she naturally struggled a few times before quickly slipping away.

"So many people are watching."

The Book of Fuxi looked somewhat displeased. Then she picked up a box larger than herself from the ground and pushed it toward Fu Hua.

"Phew..."

Fu Hua smiled helplessly, accepted the box, and casually opened it.

Wow, gold... white scrap metal!

"This is... noodles?"

Raven looked oddly at the steaming bowl of noodles in Fu Hua's hands, then glanced down at the endless bowl of noodles in her own hands.

From the outside, they looked exactly the same.

Tesla's lips twitched.

"Is this going to turn into another endless bowl of noodles...?"

Fu Hua also looked somewhat puzzled.

No, if you give Kevin a bowl of noodles, you could at least say it's because he likes eating noodles.

But she didn't even like eating noodles...

With a sigh, clinging to her last shred of hope, she checked the information attached to the steaming bowl.

【Longevity Noodles in a Dream】

【Longevity noodles made for Jingwei in a dream by the Book of Fuxi. They taste incredibly delicious—you must try them!】

【Because they are a product of a dream, they cannot actually be eaten. However, if you keep them beside your pillow, perhaps you can enjoy a bowl of these longevity noodles every night in your dreams.】

【Because they are a product of a dream, they will never spoil.】

The properties of the bowl of noodles were clearly displayed.

But after everyone read the description, they exchanged bewildered glances.

Some even stared in disbelief.

Raven looked at the endless bowl of noodles in her hand, then at Fu Hua's bowl, a trace of sympathy appearing in her eyes.

This was even worse than hers, which could at least produce an endless variety of noodles.

Eating noodles in a dream?

That was absurd!

If you really placed this bowl beside your pillow and ate these noodles every night in your dreams, your sweet dreams would probably turn into nightmares before long.

Fu Hua herself froze as she stared at the bowl in her hands, looking rather embarrassed.

These noodles had been made by the Book of Fuxi to celebrate her birthday, so she should have been happy.

But they were something she could only look at and not eat... no, wait. She could only eat them in her dreams...

In every possible sense...

This gift was terrible.

Fu Hua felt like she was having a heart attack.

Just look at my luck...

Himeko also found it a little strange, but to lighten the mood, she joked.

"Maybe someday we can all sleep together and eat noodles in our dreams."

"Eat noodles before bed, then keep eating them in our dreams?" Tesla couldn't help but retort after hearing Himeko's comment.

"In the past, the Flame-Chasers held a team-building event where they ate noodles. Now everyone's eating noodles in their dreams too?"

The final line:

I love eating noodles in my dreams.

Kevin: I feel subtly insulted.

Just then, the next question appeared.

【17. In Fire Moth, there was a perennial scapegoat. Who was this scapegoat?】

It was a fill-in-the-blank question.

And it was about the Previous Era.

It was also an inside joke.

Mei didn't waste any time on a question like this. After glancing at it, she looked at Fu Hua.

"Class Monitor, you should know this, right?"

"...Scapegoat?"

Fu Hua frowned, unconsciously resting her chin on her hand as she thought.

"I really don't remember anyone in Fire Moth who could be called a scapegoat..."

She had always been rather withdrawn, rarely interacting with the others in the organization. Naturally, her interpersonal relationships weren't particularly good, so she didn't know much about the gossip that circulated within Fire Moth.

"That probably refers to Kalpas."

Su spoke up and provided the answer.

"Kalpas?"

Hearing the name, Fu Hua raised an eyebrow before suddenly remembering something.

"Right... Nuwa and Fuxi mentioned this to me before."

"I remember it went something like this... If something goes wrong in the organization..."

"...It must have been Kalpas."

Kevin, however, calmly took the initiative to explain.

"Those are merely rumors that circulated among the others."

"Those... are more than just rumors."

Su disagreed.

"...That's true."

Kevin didn't deny it.

Hearing this, Fu Hua connected it with things she had overheard in the past and couldn't help sighing.

"Kalpas... if it's him, then he truly deserves the title of the Scapegoat King."

Wendy, standing beside her, recalled the "polite" Kalpas. She stroked her chin, pursed her lips, and muttered,

"Kalpas? That very 'polite,' hot-tempered guy from before?... Hmm, he did seem pretty straightforward. Definitely the type to take the blame."

Straightforward people were the easiest to frame.

With such a terrible temper, his relationships with others were probably awful.

It wasn't surprising that he often took the blame.

The roulette wheel determined who would answer the question.

And, unsurprisingly, the result was unexpected.

Fu Hua narrowly missed the opportunity by just one in a thousand.

The one chosen to answer was...

Mei.

Quite the contrast.

"My answer is: Kalpas."

Mei answered calmly.

【Correct answer!】

The result confirmed Kalpas's reputation as Fire Moth's scapegoat.

Then the related footage appeared.

The scene showed the familiar living quarters within the Elysian Realm.

On one side stood the familiar Herrscher of Thunder, Mei.

On the other stood an unfamiliar girl.

She was petite, with green hair and a youthful, pretty face, yet she wore surprisingly mature clothing.

"...Your Fire Moth accepted someone like her?!"

Theresa looked utterly shocked.

No matter how she looked at her, the girl seemed far too young. Had she even turned fifteen?

As an anti-Honkai organization, recruiting children like this was no laughing matter...

Then again, Bronya and Seele, neither of whom were adults, had also appeared before.

"..."

Theresa fell silent.

But she immediately realized something.

That wasn't the same.

St. Freya Academy was a school that trained Valkyries, so it was perfectly normal for underage girls to be there.

Fire Moth, however, was an organization on the same level as Schicksal Headquarters and Anti-Entropy.

"She looks so cute... but why do I get such a dangerous feeling from her?"

Rita's smile vanished instantly. She frowned as she looked at the green-haired girl on the screen.

Her instincts told her that, despite her appearance, the green-haired girl was definitely an old woman. Fortunately, Rita wasn't obsessed with age.

After learning from Theresa's example, she had become much more focused on appearance and figure.

Even so, although the adorable child had caught her attention for a brief moment, what remained afterward was the vigilance of an assassin.

"This is Mobius."

Fu Hua answered simply.

Tesla's jaw immediately dropped.

She looked back and forth between the green-haired girl on the screen and Fu Hua before pointing at the image.

"You're telling me this is the so-called mad scientist?!"

It wasn't that she looked down on anyone.

But Mobius's appearance was so misleading that Tesla had initially assumed she was some Flame-Chaser's daughter or niece. She simply couldn't associate her with the infamous mad scientist.

"Hmph. Third-rate people who judge solely by appearances."

At that moment, Jackal, Mobius's self-proclaimed biggest fan, couldn't help speaking sarcastically.

"How could you possibly understand the greatness of the Flame-Chasers?"

Fu Hua coughed lightly.

Well... I am a Flame-Chaser.

"Even if you're not praising me, this is still awkward."

Kevin glanced over, and the perceptive Gray Serpent immediately dragged Jackal away.

With three Flame-Chasers present, having one of his subordinates saying things like that was rather embarrassing.

This series of actions successfully prevented Tesla from firing back.

"Mobius didn't originally look like that. The Honkai genes she fused with granted her the ability to avoid death."

Regarding Mobius's appearance, Su voluntarily revealed one of Fire Moth's old secrets.

"...Immortal? Is that really true...?"

Hearing this, Kiana immediately became skeptical.

People die when they're killed.

That was common sense.

How could someone be unable to die?

"It's true."

Fu Hua confirmed Su's statement. Amid everyone's astonished expressions, she continued,

"Snakes are creatures that refuse to submit to death..."

"As long as Mobius herself doesn't wish to die, she cannot truly die."

"...That sounds too fantastical."

Even Mei, who was already familiar with the power of MANTISes, found it hard to believe.

Then she looked at Mobius on the screen, recalled Su's earlier explanation, and immediately realized something.

"...Although she can't die, there must be a price for this immortality, right?"

Mei's question surprised Fu Hua, who nodded in confirmation.

Then she spoke softly.

"Yes. As you can see... that appearance is the price Mobius pays for immortality."

"What?! The price of immortality is becoming like that? That's an unbelievably generous condition!"

Tesla looked utterly confused.

"You're telling me she gains immortality and eternal youth?"

Immortality.

Eternal youth.

Wasn't that nothing but advantages?

"It's not that she became like that and then stopped dying."

Su sighed and corrected her.

"It's that every time Mobius dies, she returns to childhood."

"That sounds even more outrageous."

Himeko twitched her lips.

"I thought the price of immortality was staying like that forever.

But you're telling me she becomes like that every time she dies and comes back to life?

Have you never heard the saying, 'No one can return to childhood,' you idiot!"

According to that logic, the most precious years of life—childhood and youth—had become completely meaningless to Mobius.

Himeko, who had rather mixed feelings about her younger self, couldn't help feeling a little resentful.

"Hello, little lab rat. We meet again. Would you like a cup of tea?"

Mobius smiled as she approached Mei.

Her attitude was friendly—provided you ignored her ill-intentioned gaze and the insulting nickname.

"I feel like countless people have told me, 'Don't get on Mobius's operating table,' and 'Don't eat anything Mobius gives you.'"

Mei's expression remained cold. It was obvious she didn't like the Flame-Chaser before her.

"Ugh, here we go again. Can't you stop thinking so badly of me?"

Mobius pouted pitifully and sighed.

"If something goes wrong, it's Kalpas's fault. If someone gets sick, it's Mobius's fault... When will these rumors ever end?"

"I'm afraid they're not just rumors."

Mei remained unconvinced as she coldly stared at Mobius.

"I'd say the one who's been wrongfully accused the most is Kalpas."

Expressionless, Mei pointed outside and asked,

"Then... who made that huge crater outside?"

"Kalpas."

Mobius answered instantly, as though she had rehearsed it countless times.

"But there's half a patch of green, snake-scale-like residue at the bottom of the crater."

Mei continued pressing the issue.

Mobius maintained her smile without the slightest hint of guilt.

"That was Kalpas too."

Watching her tell such an effortless and shameless lie, Mei fell silent.

After a long pause, she finally spoke.

"...At least now I understand how Kalpas earned his reputation."

(End of video.)

"Well, when it comes to shamelessly lying, no one can beat her. I, Tesla, acknowledge her as the best!"

Tesla clapped her hands, her face filled with admiration as Mobius firmly secured her title as the ultimate liar.

"A true master of shifting blame and framing others!"

Mei looked sympathetic.

"I suddenly feel a little sorry for Kalpas."

"To have a colleague like that... if past lives really exist, what kind of karma did he accumulate?"

...Then again, Kalpas wasn't exactly a good person either.

Just look at that terrible temper.

"Although she's a little mischievous, Miss Mobius doesn't seem... that difficult to get along with, does she?"

Seele scratched her cheek uncertainly.

Because of Mobius's gentle tone and seemingly friendly attitude, Seele thought she seemed rather kind.

At least for now, Seele couldn't connect the Mobius on the screen with the image of a mad scientist.

Fu Hua's lips twitched.

Damn it.

She'd completely fallen for it.

---

Chapter 266: You Herrschers are Really Bad!

If Seele truly viewed Mobius as an easy-going, friendly person...

She might be easy-going, but she'd probably prefer to conduct her experiments on Seele first and discuss the experience afterward.

Friendly? Well, that's pure nonsense.

Fu Hua didn't explain much, simply offering a very objective summary of her terrible colleague in the most vivid and concise way.

"You can try to think of Mobius as a venomous snake."

What image does a venomous snake evoke in people's minds?

Probably cunning, vicious, and greedy.

Fu Hua's words sent a chill down Seele's spine, even though she hadn't initially thought Mobius was all that bad.

...She was quite afraid of snakes.

Mei nodded slightly, unable to deny it.

She definitely couldn't judge a Flame-Chaser labeled a mad scientist based on appearances the way Seele did.

Speaking of which, the attitude of the version of herself in the video was also a bit problematic.

From the previous footage, she knew that after joining the World Serpent, that version of herself had become much colder.

But her attitude toward Mobius was more than just cold.

Combined with the word "guinea pig" in the video, the impressions from Raven and Jackal, and her own role as a researcher, Mei could easily imagine what her situation with Mobius had been like.

It was nothing more than the other party wanting to dissect her as a Herrscher or something.

Of course, it didn't seem like a big deal now. After all, Mei had actually experimented on herself in the lab before.

That meant cutting off a piece of flesh and taking some blood, DNA, and so on.

As for actually cutting herself apart... she wasn't a masochist, and besides, she wasn't that crazy.

Mei casually took the box Water's Edge handed her and opened it with practiced ease.

From the box, she pulled out...

"This is... a rocket launcher?!"

Bronya was surprised to see the long purple cannon in Mei's hands.

Raven and Rita wore the same expression.

Indeed, a mercenary might not understand cosmetic brands, but one absolutely could not be unfamiliar with this world-renowned portable heavy-duty weapon.

"It looks like just an ordinary rocket launcher..."

Welt squinted as he examined it from the outside before reaching that conclusion.

As the former Herrscher of Reason, even without the authority to decipher its structure, his years of accumulated expertise were enough for him to grasp a great deal.

"Actually, the internal structure is also quite ordinary."

Bronya, the current Herrscher of Reason, had a flash of dark golden gears appear in her eyes. Her Herrscher powers analyzed the rocket launcher in Mei's hands, and then she stated with certainty:

"It seems to be just an ordinary rocket launcher."

"There's nothing ordinary in this Q&A Space," Otto chuckled.

Everyone fell silent.

As Otto said, nothing produced by this Q&A Space was simple.

Mei calmly waved her hand.

[Ten-Year-Later Rocket Launcher (Pirated)]

[A peculiar product from a certain world, capable of transforming the target into their appearance five years in the future for three minutes.]

[Cooldown: One year]

Sure enough, this seemingly ordinary, unremarkable, and even somewhat chubby rocket launcher was not as simple as it appeared.

Looking at its attributes, Tesla had to admit that this thing was really powerful. However, due to an irresistible urge to complain, she said somewhat conflictedly:

"Why is it called the Ten-Year-Later Rocket Launcher if it can only transform someone into their appearance five years in the future?!"

If it's called the Ten-Year-Later Rocket Launcher, shouldn't it transform someone into their appearance ten years in the future?!

Of course, that wasn't to say that five years into the future was bad.

Just the ability to transform someone into their future self was already incredible enough.

Tesla was simply fixated on the mismatch between the rocket launcher's name and its actual effect.

If you call it the "Ten-Year Future Rocket Launcher," then it should represent ten years, right?

But it only goes five years! Shouldn't it be called the "Five-Year Future Rocket Launcher"?!

"Hmm... maybe it's like a dish called Husband-and-Wife Sliced Beef that doesn't actually contain a husband and wife. It's just false advertising."

Fu Hua raised her chin slightly, somewhat amused.

"Besides, it also carries the stigma of being a pirated product."

"Maybe the genuine product's effect really is ten years, just as the name suggests, while the pirated version's effect is somewhat inferior... understandable, understandable."

"If you put it that way, that's fair... but these restrictions are too many."

Tesla was somewhat convinced by this argument, but she still had strong opinions about the rocket launcher.

Besides the false advertising, there was even a time limit!

"Three minutes? What's the point of that!"

Tesla grumbled, "It takes me five minutes to make a bowl of noodles!"

"Maybe it can be used to fight a monster or something?" Joyce half-jokingly suggested, which naturally earned him an eye roll from Tesla as she irritably replied:

"Are you filming Ultraman? Where would monsters come from in reality?"

"There aren't any monsters, but there are Honkai beasts."

Cecilia clasped her hands together and chuckled.

"Three minutes is more than enough to take down a large Honkai beast."

"Don't worry about it too much. While it does have some limitations, on the bright side, it's definitely a very useful tool, isn't it?"

Bronya nodded in agreement.

Indeed, she was now somewhat tempted to take a hit.

Bronya was quite interested in her future self, who would transform from a bicycle into a motorcycle.

However, this rocket launcher had a long cooldown. Using it just to satisfy her curiosity would be a waste.

After this initial disappointment, a new question appeared:

【18. Horaiji Kyuushou, rescued by Seele's team, arrived at the human resistance against the Honkai under her leadership. Who is the leader of the Honkai resistance?】

【A. Bronya Zaychik】

【B. Seele Vollerei】

【C. Kevin Kaslana】

【D. Emisha】

Upon seeing the question, everyone immediately realized what it referred to, and their expressions turned somber.

Siegfried sighed.

"It's about that Fire Moth from before..."

Seele's survival was a good thing.

But the thought that that world had been ruined because of his daughter made him anything but happy.

His gaze fell on Kiana.

Her expression remained unchanged.

"Alright, let's focus on the question first~"

Cecilia clapped her hands, drawing everyone's attention and steering the conversation back on track.

"Bronya can be ruled out, for the reasons I've already explained."

Bronya proactively denied the possibility of being the leader of the human resistance.

No one objected.

After all, the Bronya of that world was clearly dead, killed by Kiana herself...

Everyone's expressions grew even more somber.

Theresa naturally didn't want everyone dwelling on it. She coughed, glanced at Seele, and voiced her thoughts:

"Seele... has indeed improved considerably. If necessary, I think the Seele from that world would be capable of taking on such an important position."

"Eh... I can't do it..."

Seele fidgeted with her fingers and lowered her head.

Seele was still insecure. Even if Theresa was referring to her older self from another world, she still felt she definitely couldn't shoulder the heavy responsibility of leading everyone to survive in a world on the verge of destruction.

"Don't worry too much. If it's the grown-up Seele, Bronya wouldn't be surprised at all if she could achieve that."

Bronya patted Seele's head reassuringly.

This unconditional trust moved Seele deeply, and her eyes welled up with tears.

"However, Bronya also thinks Seele probably isn't the leader of the human resistance. After all, she's the team leader..."

"While it's true that, in such dire circumstances with insufficient manpower, it's not impossible for a leader to lead from the front, a leader should ideally remain at the base or somewhere else to oversee the overall situation."

Bronya believed Seele was qualified to be a leader, but she also thought the leader mentioned in the question wasn't Seele.

"Compared to Seele, option C, Mr. Kevin, and option D, the unknown name, are more worthy of consideration."

Bronya's statement made sense.

Aside from herself, who had already clearly met her demise in option A, Seele, who had already appeared as a team leader, had no necessary connection to being the overall leader.

As for Kevin in option C, although he had already failed once before, considering the opening tagline mentioning "Fire Moth"...

Kevin, the strongest MANTIS of the Previous Era's Fire Moth and also the leader of World Serpent, becoming the leader of the human resistance in that world on the verge of destruction was even more likely than Seele taking that role.

However...

Option D was indeed a major problem.

Regarding this person named Emisha, they were certain she was a complete stranger whom they had never met and knew nothing about.

Judging whether this person was qualified to lead a human resistance organization when everything about her was unknown... frankly, it would be better to simply choose option C, Kevin.

At least they knew enough about Kevin in this world.

"Let's tentatively settle on option C, Kevin, but the final choice is up to whoever gets selected."

Mei calmly concluded the discussion.

Then, a small spinning wheel appeared to determine the final respondent.

This time, there weren't many people on it.

Only the heads of Kevin, Seele, and Bronya.

Under everyone's gaze, the pointer spun rapidly before finally stopping on... Seele's head.

"Eh... me..."

Although it wasn't the first time, Seele was still slightly surprised to see her name on the wheel and pointed at herself.

However, she didn't say anything else.

Simply following the discussion, she softly made her choice:

"The correct answer is C, Kevin!"

This choice, barring any unforeseen circumstances...

[Incorrect answer! The correct answer is: Bronya Zaychik]

...There was an unexpected twist.

Upon seeing this result, everyone except a few individuals, especially Bronya herself, was completely bewildered.

They genuinely believed the correct answer was C.

D was also possible.

B... the probability was low, but not impossible.

But A...

Wasn't that practically impossible?!

"What's going on?!" Tesla, the master of witty remarks, couldn't help but ask in utter bewilderment.

"Wasn't Bronya dead?!"

Everyone else looked equally stunned.

"You're asking me? How would I know?"

"Kiana killed her, and she's right here. If you have any questions, just ask her."

"Could it be that you didn't kill Bronya either, just like Seele...?"

Perhaps because the situation was so shocking that it even surpassed his fear of the Herrscher of Finality, Tesla looked at Kiana, speechless.

If the answer was correct, and Bronya really was the leader, then it was very likely that she had survived.

But if that was the case...

"Seele and Bronya... that's two survivors."

Tesla now felt that Kiana's role as the Herrscher of Finality was particularly incompetent.

She had somehow let two people survive right under her nose.

"Ahem."

Bronya coughed lightly, a hint of displeasure appearing in her eyes.

Watch your words.

Although it was indeed a bit strange, wasn't it a good thing that she had survived?

Why make it sound as though she was destined to die?

Well, even Bronya herself felt that she should have died in that situation.

But there was nothing she could do.

After all, the question clearly stated that she was the leader of the human resistance.

So she must have survived through some extraordinary stroke of luck.

"...Bronya Onee-chan didn't die... that's great."

Unlike the shock everyone else felt, Seele, upon learning the truth, immediately burst into tears.

Tears streamed down her face as she repeatedly murmured, "That's great... that's great."

Just as before, when her counterpart in that world had been killed by Kiana, Bronya had shown the same despair and sorrow.

Seeing her beloved Bronya Onee-chan die was a devastating blow to Seele.

Then, after learning that she herself had survived...

Seele's first reaction wasn't relief.

It was overwhelming sadness.

...Sadness that only she had survived.

But now, knowing that Bronya Onee-chan hadn't died and had instead become the leader of the human resistance, Seele felt immense joy.

That joy even surpassed the happiness of learning she herself had survived.

"..."

"Kiana", of course, noticed those questioning, strange gazes, but she paid them no heed.

She simply watched Seele's tears of joy and the shock on everyone's faces through her golden eyes.

Then she slowly lowered her gaze.

"...They're not dead, are they?"

Bianka, standing not far away, asked softly.

Kiana, however, smiled—a rare occurrence.

Seeing that smile, Bianka was stunned.

She thought she had been right. She believed Kiana had held back, allowing her companions to survive.

But she failed to notice the deep sorrow hidden beneath Kiana's faint smile.

---

Chapter 267: Seele Also Loves This Kind of Older Sister~

Not unfamiliar to anyone, the grown-up Seele appeared on the screen alongside the girl named Horaiji Kyuushou.

"Big Sister~ I'm back! Mission accomplished!"

Overjoyed, Seele, leading Kyuushou, embraced her beloved older sister.

Clad in clothing similar to Seele's but more conservative, with her hair now styled in a neat Roman curl to one side, her face remained largely unchanged despite the years. Only her youthful innocence had been replaced by a mature aura.

"This is... Bronya from that world?!"

Kiana's eyes widened in surprise. "She feels completely different from the Bronya of the future."

"Specifically?"

Mei raised an eyebrow, curious to see if Kiana would notice anything.

"Her figure."

Kiana was honest, making Bronya's face darken. Mei wore an expression of surprise, though she nodded in agreement, unable to deny it.

"I figured as much... but, well, the difference in figure is indeed huge."

The Bronya in the image was naturally very different from that Duck figurine. At a glance, although they were both Bronya Zaychik, their development in different worlds had diverged drastically... especially when it came to their figures.

"Perhaps it's because of the harsh environment and lack of nutrition?" Himeko crossed her arms, glanced at the Bronya in the image, and clicked her tongue. "Although her figure doesn't seem to have improved much... that aura she exudes..."

“Bronya has grown into a wonderful leader.”

“A leader... I'm not entirely sure, but I feel like Bronya Onee-chan, even though her figure hasn't changed much, seems more reliable now.”

Seele touched her chin with her fingertips, expressing her thoughts about the Bronya in the image. Then, as if afraid Bronya might misunderstand, she quickly corrected herself:

“Ah, Seele didn't mean Bronya Onee-chan is unreliable!”

“Anyway, Seele thinks Bronya Onee-chan is very beautiful and attractive.”

Seele clenched her fist, her face earnest and sincere.

Bronya remained expressionless.

Although it seemed like a compliment, for some reason, she couldn't feel happy.

In the scene, facing Seele's enthusiasm, Bronya smiled in return and said softly:

"Welcome home. Are you alright?"

"Big Sister, you're worrying too much! How could I possibly get hurt on such a small mission?"

Breaking out of the embrace, Seele was no longer the naive girl she once was. She blinked her bright, elfin eyes, laughing confidently.

"No, I mean, were the family members you were escorting injured?" Bronya dealt a heavy blow to her confidence.

Those words stunned Seele. She puffed out her cheeks and spoke somewhat angrily.

"Gurgle... I'm not hurt! Honestly... Big Sister always bullies me! Here, this is the information on all the survivors~."

Complaining with her cheeks puffed out, Seele, like an angry little pufferfish, shoved the prepared data files in front of Bronya.

“Okay, thank you for your hard work, Seele.”

Bronya took the file and patted Seele's head.

Instantly, Seele, who had been a little annoyed, smiled again.

“Hehe~”

That chuckle drew smiles from everyone.

Wendy, who knew Seele well, found it amusing. "Even grown-up Seele is easy to please."

A pat on the head and she's happy? Even little kids aren't that easy to please!

Of course, Seele would never admit that. She pouted and defended her future self:

"Gulp... no way! It's just because it's Bronya Onee-chan!"

"Then let me pat you~" Wendy raised her hand and placed it on Seele's head.

Instantly, Seele's expression became quite docile, but she quickly realized what was happening.

With slightly flushed cheeks, Seele slapped Wendy's hand away, took a few steps back, and huffed, "Wendy's mean!"

"Hehe, Seele's just like a cat~" Wendy scoffed, clearly amused, which only fueled Seele's anger and playful chasing.

"Alright, alright, quiet down."

Watching the two bicker in front of everyone, Bronya sighed and patted their heads.

Instantly, they both quieted down.

Oh dear, there are two cats here...

…

There weren't many survivors, so the information was limited. Bronya skimmed through the documents, finally stopping at one containing only a name, gender, and photo.

This person's information was almost entirely blank.

Bronya frowned. Seele, standing beside her with her neck craned forward, nodded at Bronya's confusion. She then pointed to Horaiji Kyuushou, who was waiting motionlessly a short distance away, and spoke with some regret.

"This one. It's her. The information says her memory was severely damaged. She seems to have forgotten everything about herself."

"Let me introduce you This is my favorite older sister! The leader of the resistance—Bronya Zaychik! Blah blah blah"

Taking a few lively steps, Seele flashed a bright smile, blinking at the bewildered Horaiji Kyuushou.

The others didn't react much to her lively antics, but Black Seele, a Seele enthusiast, was instantly ecstatic upon seeing this.

She practically muttered, "Hehe... Seele... my Seele..."

Bronya turned her gaze to Horaiji Kyuushou, her expression calm as a gentle smile appeared on her face.

"Just call me Bronya. I'm not a leader. I'm just trying to survive together with everyone."

"Big Sister is so modest~ But Seele loves Big Sister like this too!" (≧ω≦)/

Seele, standing beside her, hugged Bronya from the side, affectionately rubbing her face against Bronya's clothes. Bronya looked helpless and sighed.

"Seele and I aren't related by blood, but she's my most important little sister, although sometimes she can be quite troublesome."

"Eh! Really? When!?"

This question immediately made Seele, who was hugging and rubbing against Bronya, look surprised and thoughtful, but she clearly had no idea.

Hmm, as obedient as she was, how could she possibly bother Bronya Onee-chan?

This lack of self-awareness made Bronya roll her eyes. She lightly chopped Seele on the head with her hand.

"Like now..."

"Uh..."

( ๑ŏ ﹏ ŏ๑ )

That pitiful yet adorable expression made Bronya want to pinch her cheeks.

Seeing the two interact, Horaiji Kyuushou murmured:

"...What enviable sisters."

"Is that so...? Perhaps you're right..." Bronya couldn't deny it. Then she looked at her seriously.

"Getting back to the point, regarding your situation, according to the data, you don't have any obvious external injuries. The memory trauma is most likely due to mental stimulation, but we can't rule out Honkai's influence, so we can't draw a complete conclusion yet."

“But I think this symptom is only temporary, and your memory will definitely return. So don't worry. Just recover slowly. I'll do my best to help you.”

Bronya's leadership qualities were on full display as she offered comfort and encouragement.

Seele, holding onto Bronya's arm, nodded repeatedly like a chick pecking at rice and smiled.

“Mmm As long as Big Sister is here, you can rest assured”

“That’s all for today. Next, Seele will give you a tour of the base. You must be tired after such a long journey, so go back and get some rest.”

Seele naturally nodded obediently at Bronya's arrangement. With her hands on her hips, she looked every bit the big sister.

“Leave the rest to me. Come with me~”

The scene ended there.

Although she didn't show it much...

even from those few words, it was enough to glimpse Bronya's potential as a leader.

"Very reliable, Bronya."

Theresa smiled with satisfaction and patted Bronya on the shoulder.

Although her counterpart from that world and Himeko had died, her student here had grown into a qualified leader.

This was good news, at least for now.

“…”

Fu Hua frowned, feeling that something was amiss.

Bronya and Seele from that world had both survived Finality's clutches, which should have been cause for celebration.

Their growth and the way they carried themselves were astonishing.

But for some reason, she felt a strange sense of unease.

Was it just her imagination?

Meanwhile, because there was no reward, the next question appeared.

However, everyone was stunned after seeing its contents.

【19. After turning against Otto, Durandal, through a single misstep, fell victim to Otto's underhanded tactics and was banished. Where did Otto banish Durandal?】

【Seed of Sumeru】【Sea of Quanta】

【Theater of Domination】【Imaginary Space】

Durandal stared at the question in disbelief, pointing to herself, seemingly unable to comprehend it.

"...Me? I've... gone over to the opposite side against His Holiness the Archbishop?!"

Rita's eyes also revealed surprise.

But in Otto's eyes, the surprise lasted only a moment.

After that, there was only understanding.

It was clear that he wasn't surprised by the situation described in the question. In fact, he seemed to have anticipated it.

That was only natural.

Although Durandal was extremely loyal to him, that loyalty was actually based on Otto's position as Archbishop of Schicksal.

If one day he did something that went against Durandal's beliefs, then even though he had raised and cared for her and had essentially been her mentor, she would turn against him.

It wasn't surprising that Durandal would draw her sword against him.

Besides...

Durandal had always had her reasons for drawing her sword against Otto Apocalypse.

She simply hadn't realized it herself.

"Suddenly, I feel a little regretful."

Otto sighed, his expression unchanged.

After this question appeared, he knew that the plan he had established was nearing its end in the future.

If successful, his long-cherished wish would be fulfilled.

But now, with this Q&A Space causing such chaos, executing the original plan was becoming increasingly difficult.

"...Let's not dwell on the specifics for now. Let's consider the answer first."

Einstein calmly steered the conversation back on track.

"The key point of this question is that during the battle, Otto will banish Miss Durandal... and the location of that banishment..."

"The Seed of Sumeru can be ruled out. That's something I possess."

Su calmly eliminated one possibility.

The Seed of Sumeru was a powerful trap.

However, without his consent as its owner, outsiders couldn't use it, let alone interfere with it.

And Otto wanted to get the Seed of Sumeru from him? Su could only say that was impossible.

He'd rather give away a goose than give the Seed of Sumeru to Otto.

“We've eliminated one option, so the remaining ones... Theater of Domination... that must refer to the place where Fu Hua and Bronya were, right?”

“Judging from the layout and their conversation, that place should be a space independent of reality.”

Listening to Mei's explanation, Raven was somewhat unconvinced.

“Yes, but ultimately that's a space belonging to the Herrscher of Dominance. What does it have to do with Otto?”

Since it belonged to the Herrscher of Dominance, it should be under their control.

Exiling Durandal to the Theater of Domination? Was Otto the Herrscher of Dominance now?

The remaining two answers were honestly pretty tricky as well.

The Sea of Quanta was a great place to trap people.

Kevin had once found himself trapped there.

Without real-world coordinates, he couldn't get out.

Imaginary Space... that was an even broader concept. Reality consisted of real numbers, while everything beyond it was imaginary.

The entirety of Imaginary Space—who knew which one it referred to?

Still, it was a good place to exile someone.

If you didn't have spatial teleportation abilities, being thrown into Imaginary Space would probably leave you trapped there for life.

After much thought, Einstein turned directly to Otto, the person involved.

"Bishop Otto, I think you should have some idea where you'll exile Miss Durandal, right?"

What could be quicker than asking the person involved?

The moment the question was asked, Durandal, Rita, and everyone else turned their attention to Otto.

"Heh."

Otto chuckled, straightforward and without pretense.

"Probably Imaginary Space."

In his planned scheme, he had already anticipated Durandal becoming his enemy.

As her guide, Otto naturally couldn't let the strongest Valkyrie of Schicksal, whom he had personally nurtured, suffer any consequences.

Imaginary Space was a good place.

There, Durandal could calm down while buying some time for his plan.

When the plan was nearly complete, his backup plan could bring Durandal back.

Of course, even without his backup plan, Otto believed that with Durandal's strength, mere Imaginary Space couldn't trap her indefinitely.

"So, the correct answer is... Imaginary Space."

---

Chapter 268: The Damaged Photograph

There wasn't much controversy surrounding this question.

The only ones competing for the right to choose were Otto and Durandal.

They should have been on the same side, so it didn't matter who made the choice.

Otto chose to concede.

Even though Durandal knew she would stand on the opposite side from him in the future, she remained steadfast.

Otto's smile made Durandal gasp. She looked deeply at the Overseer she respected most, then focused her gaze on the question.

"The correct answer is... Imaginary Space!"

The answer was given, but Durandal didn't care about the outcome.

Frankly, whether it was right or wrong didn't matter to her.

She was far more concerned about her future self being at odds with the Overseer.

Although Otto's actions did indeed violate her own principles in some ways, the fact that he forced her to draw her sword against him meant this was no longer a conflict of principles but a clash of ideologies.

[Correct answer!]

It was a cause for celebration, but apart from Otto, no one seemed to care.

More important than whether the answer was right or wrong was how the seemingly loyal Durandal had ended up fighting Otto—a question to which probably only a select few could remain indifferent.

The intriguing image began to unfold before their eyes.

—The scene opened to a desolate, lifeless space where cold stones and metal pillars stood everywhere, forming rows of broken, crooked columns.

The marks of time etched upon these columns were strikingly prominent.

"Seventeen years and eight months—compared to fifty thousand years, this is but a fleeting moment."

In this deathly silent space, a deep, cold voice imbued with the weight of time suddenly rang out before pausing.

"Since I've been forced to do work again, let's go through the routine."

"Tell each visitor what kind of power they've inherited."

"Then engrave in their souls the promise that once belonged to 'him.'"

As the voice recounted what was to come, it abruptly stopped.

"..."

"...?"

Silence tinged with confusion followed. The voice seemed perplexed.

"What's going on? Why isn't the oath of the Stigmata manifesting properly?"

"—Could it be that this person doesn't belong to 'them'?"

He considered the possibility but immediately rejected it without hesitation.

"No, that's absolutely impossible..."

As the voice fell silent, Su slightly raised his head, his eyes closed, while facing Kevin.

It wasn't Kevin who spoke first, but Fu Hua.

"He mentioned the Stigmata. You know the details of that space, right, Kevin?"

She had found the voice familiar from the very beginning, and the mention of the Stigmata immediately confirmed Fu Hua's suspicion that the space shown in the scene was definitely related to Kevin—or at the very least, Kevin knew the details of it.

Kevin didn't nod, which was tantamount to acknowledgment, but he didn't explain anything about the place.

It wasn't because he wanted to conceal anything, but simply because he felt it was unnecessary.

Who knew? The next scene might reveal everything they wanted to know.

In that case, any further explanation would be pointless.

Of course, this was definitely not because Kevin remembered Fu Hua's riddle-solving performance when she first entered this Q&A Space with him, only to be shown a shocking scene afterward.

—Imaginary Space

The origin of the universe, the convergence of laws.

The meaning of time here cannot be understood by common sense. The operation of things here cannot be calculated by mechanics.

Ordinary people without special precautions would find it almost impossible to even maintain their existence here.

—But there are always exceptions.

Not long ago, she ventured deep into the heart of the Imaginary Space and, with the help of her friends, escaped unscathed.

The "Seed of Sumeru" faithfully recorded that invaluable experience. The girl originally believed that returning to reality from the Imaginary Space would no longer be difficult for her.

It wasn't that she had misjudged her own abilities, but now she had indeed encountered an unexpected problem.

"▅▅▅▅, ▅▅."

A cacophony of sounds rang out from the screen, causing Durandal, who was already in danger, to freeze momentarily.

"What is that sound in my mind...?"

"▅▅▅, ▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅."

It rang out again, making her frown.

"...Completely incomprehensible."

"Strange... this noise. Is it some kind of 'entanglement' phenomenon in the Imaginary Space?"

"▅▅, ▅▅▅..."

"▅▅▅▅▅, ▅▅, ▅▅▅▅▅!"

An unknown noise echoed endlessly throughout the void, creating ripples.

These ripples overlapped, revealing a real spatial structure that engulfed the girl.

The piercing, indistinct cacophony also traveled through the screen and reached everyone's ears.

"What is this...?"

Tesla's face was filled with disgust.

She hated these kinds of incomprehensible things.

Mei remained calm and unconcerned as she said softly, "Perhaps... it's the 'promise' the voice spoke of earlier."

"Indeed... Though vague, those brief words do fit the promise the voice spoke of regarding 'him.'"

Einstein nodded, then cast a meaningful glance at Kevin.

Fu Hua and the others had heard it, and since "him" had been mentioned, given the Riddler's level of ability, it was difficult to believe Kevin wasn't at least partly involved.

Just then, the scene shifted abruptly.

The previous chaos was replaced by blood-red ruins.

"...!"

The blonde figure who had seemingly fallen through the opening onto the ground was Durandal.

The sudden fall caused her to let out a muffled groan. It was clear she wasn't feeling well.

Taking in her surroundings, Durandal frowned and muttered to herself,

"Although I've passed through that absolute nothingness, I clearly haven't returned to the interior of the Seed of Sumeru yet."

"Gnius's signal is very unstable, making it unusable for communication or precise positioning. Was it caused by the noise from earlier? Or..."

She wasn't certain, but after surveying the unfamiliar surroundings, her experience exploring unknown environments allowed her to quickly calm herself and make a decision.

"Anyway, let's sort out the situation."

"In the previous battle with the Overseer, although I temporarily defeated him, he found an opportunity to exile me to the Imaginary Space."

"Physically, this place still seems to be part of the Imaginary Space. But..."

Durandal rested her chin on her hand as she recalled the details of her battle with Overseer Otto.

"...The spatial ability the Overseer used... could it have come from the 'Cosmic Juggernaut'? Did he randomly choose where to exile me, or... was there a deeper meaning?"

"—No, now isn't the time to think about these questions."

She patted her face, shook her head to clear her thoughts, then said resolutely,

"Whatever his methods or intentions, I need to return to the outside world as soon as possible. Standing here and thinking won't solve anything."

"...Gnius can at least point me in a direction. I'll follow it and see what clues I can find."

Following Gnius's guidance, Durandal embarked on her journey to leave this space.

This information-rich video left everyone deep in thought.

"This really reveals a lot. When did the Cosmic Juggernaut, according to the records, end up in your hands, you bastard?"

Tesla glanced at Otto, looking both surprised and annoyed.

Anti-Entropy also had informants within Schicksal.

According to their intelligence, Schicksal possessed only the Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth Divine Keys.

Originally, Shamash and Judah had also been included, but Shamash was taken away during Siegfried's escape, while Judah was similarly taken by Theresa.

Now, if it weren't for this scene, she wouldn't have known that Otto, that bastard, had secretly obtained the Second Divine Key, the Cosmic Juggernaut, recorded in the archives.

Otto smiled but didn't answer.

Given the importance of the Cosmic Juggernaut to his plans, he kept information about it under extremely tight control.

Part of the reason was naturally that he hadn't possessed it for very long.

According to the original plan, he should have begun testing the performance of the Second Divine Key by this point, but because of his lovely granddaughter and this strange space, everything had fallen through.

The focus returned to the scene.

—Although this space was extremely desolate and empty, it was far from safe.

Monsters strikingly similar to those encountered in Mei's early Nagazora rampage roamed everywhere. The only difference was that these monsters weren't as enormous as the one designated Husk-Nihilus.

For Durandal, these monsters weren't particularly troublesome, even though she discovered that her Star Armor's power was unstable in this space.

What's noteworthy is that, despite the desolation, she noticed several unusually conspicuous points of light as she traveled through the area.

When she approached, touched, and investigated them, the points of light astonishingly transformed into glass bottles containing information.

Paper inside glass bottles—in other words, messages in bottles.

Durandal opened one of the messages in a bottle and read its contents.

In her view, this anomaly might provide a clue to escaping this strange space.

However, the contents read more like a personal journal.

The owner of the message appeared to have encountered some kind of difficulty in this space.

Later, Durandal found more messages in bottles. Likewise, the information they contained recorded the owner's experiences.

In general, the owner had undergone some unknown trial.

Countless failed trials had caused "damage" until, in the end, they couldn't even remember who they were.

The situation struck Durandal as deeply unsettling.

Despite her growing unease, she followed Gnius's guidance to the greatest anomaly in the space.

A flower-like object.

Information about it seemed to exist within the messages in the bottles, though its appearance bore no resemblance to the descriptions at all.

Durandal considered it carefully and roughly understood how to proceed. However, out of caution—or perhaps by coincidence—she glanced down and noticed a tattered photograph buried in the sand at her feet.

Durandal picked it up and examined it closely, her brow furrowing.

The most important parts of the photograph bore scorch marks from flames. The only discernible detail was the location revealed by the background.

The remaining traces consisted only of white hair and a small, delicate hand.

Upon closer inspection, perhaps it depicted a white-haired little girl at Homu Paradise.

Although it was tattered and incomplete, how could Cecilia, an S-rank Valkyrie, fail to recognize it?

Even the remaining background details were enough to match her memories.

"Cecilia-senpai, that photo... what's wrong?"

Seeing Cecilia's unusual reaction and the tears welling up in her eyes, Bianka, the person in the picture, couldn't help but feel confused.

Before Cecilia could say anything, Siegfried, standing beside her, tremblingly pulled a photo from a hidden compartment in his pocket.

The photo wasn't large, but from that angle, even those with superhuman eyesight could see it clearly.

The photo in Siegfried's hand showed a large yellow Homu.

Standing beside Homu was a small white-haired girl with an innocent, cheerful smile.

Comparing it with the tattered photo in the scene, it became clear that they were the same photograph.

"This is... Kiana...?!"

Theresa stared blankly before looking back at the scene, her face filled with shock and confusion.

"Wait... could the owner of those messages in bottles be you?"

Siegfried clutched the photo tightly to his chest and nodded.

The photo commemorated his happiest moments with Kiana. It was the only memento left after that incident.

Over the years, though he had wandered far and wide, he had always carried the photo with him and never let it out of his sight.

To discard his most treasured photograph so carelessly, as shown in the scene, could only mean that, just as described in the messages in the bottles, he had completely forgotten who he was.

The conversation shifted to the existence of her older sister and then to her father's safety.

The photographs, the strange space, the Stigmata, the trials... all of these seemingly unrelated things left Kiana bewildered and confused as she murmured softly,

"What on earth is going on...? Why was Dad thrown into that space, leaving behind those messages in bottles...?"

The sight caught Fu Hua's attention, causing her to sigh.

She looked seriously at Kevin, who was still pretending to be dead, and said earnestly,

"Kevin, perhaps you should explain all this."

Kevin remained silent.

All eyes turned toward him.

After a long while, he finally spoke.

"Keep watching, and you'll get the answers you seek."

---

Chapter 269: Rejecting Piracy Homu

Kevin's solving of the riddle naturally displeased everyone.

However, given that they weren't particularly familiar with him and were even enemies—a stance that even Fu Hua hadn't wavered on—they could only secretly curse Kevin despite his ability to solve the riddle.

Then, as Kevin had said, they watched on, hoping to find the answers they sought in the following footage.

However, before the footage continued, a riddle suddenly appeared:

【19. ① In the ensuing encounter, who was the first person Durandal met?】

【A. Homi】

【B. Hola】

【C. Homura】

【D. Homu doll】

Those accustomed to this kind of question naturally found nothing surprising about it.

But more important than the question's sudden appearance were the answers themselves.

The question was short and clear: guess what would happen next.

From this perspective, the question didn't offer many useful clues.

And the answers…

"Homu… Homi… Hola… what are all these things…"

Looking at the answers, Tesla muttered, completely bewildered.

What confused her wasn't the existence of these things, but their connection to the question.

"In the previous scene, the photo Durandal received was of Homu… perhaps Durandal will encounter that Homu doll next?"

Since the note and photo had been left there and picked up by Durandal, Mei didn't believe they were meaningless, so she connected the two.

"We can't rule out that possibility."

Einstein agreed, but Fu Hua glanced at the question and frowned.

"Perhaps... but aren't there two similar answers here?"

Intriguingly, there were two similar "Homu" options.

"That is indeed a problem."

Himeko nodded, finding it somewhat strange, and asked, "What's the difference between Homu and Homura?"

"...Bronya's memory only has Homu, not Homura!"

Homu enthusiast Bronya declared that she had never heard of Homura.

Homu enthusiast number two, Theresa, nodded and sighed.

"Just one word apart... I seriously suspect this space is trying to scam people."

"If you ask me, there's no need to suspect anything. After all, this space has a history of scamming people."

Tesla's face was full of displeasure. She had been scammed once before and still remembered it vividly.

"So... what should we choose?"

Rita was a little hesitant. Getting stuck here wouldn't accomplish anything.

At this moment, Kiana eagerly offered her suggestion.

"How about choosing the shortest one out of three long options and one short option?"

"Give it a try?"

"Let's give it a try!"

After a brief stalemate, the final winner turned out to be Siegfried, who had been completely invisible all along.

Following Kiana's lead, he played the game of choosing the shortest option out of three long ones and one short one.

Then he chose Homura…

[Incorrect Answer]

Oh no, he'd fallen for Kiana's trick.

Hmm… Siegfried certainly wouldn't think that way.

Regarding this mistake, he merely scratched his head awkwardly without caring much.

Whether it was right or wrong wasn't really important. The main thing was making his wife and kids happy.

After this little incident, the footage resumed.

—Unlike the space-time projection device in Kolosten Town, this "device" didn't so much alter the surrounding environment as project people into other spaces.

Like a dream, yet not a dream; like an illusion, yet not an illusion.

It was the past that had truly happened—a shadow left behind by history in time.

The past belonging to Durandal was revealed before everyone's eyes.

In the quiet sanatorium, Bianka slowly woke up in bed, clutching her stomach as she complained softly,

"Ugh… I'm hungry."

"It's so bright outside… really, why didn't anyone wake me up—"

The moment the thought crossed her mind, she froze in confusion.

"Yeah, this is a sanatorium. Why do I subconsciously feel like someone would wake me up?"

"..."

"Last month, I chose my name and birthday here."

"They said I suffered a severe head injury that requires surgery to fully heal, but the price is... I'll lose all my memories from before I came here forever."

"Never mind. There's no point dwelling on what's been lost. Even though I overslept today, exercise is a daily necessity."

"—Five laps around the sanatorium, followed by fifty push-ups and thirty pull-ups!"

This was the beginning of Bianka Ataegina's life.

From these few lines of self-narration, everyone already sensed the immense hardship Bianka had endured because of her childhood accident.

For humans, memory often represents everything.

When a person loses their past memories, the memories that follow create an entirely new existence.

Yet despite suffering such a terrible calamity, she remained so carefree and cheerful, quickly adjusting her mindset and choosing to move forward.

Was it because Bianka had been a child back then, or because she was naturally optimistic?

"That cheerful side of you is completely unrecognizable," Mei said.

Bianka paused, resting her chin on her hand before nodding.

"Indeed. Compared to who I was back then, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say we're completely different people."

"After all, I used to be impatient and had quite a temper."

Bianka's openness about her past was difficult for Kiana to believe. She frowned.

"I can't imagine you being like that..."

"I never imagined I'd become like this either. After all, people always change in unexpected ways."

Bianka smiled and spoke frankly.

"While losing my memory certainly wasn't a good thing, perhaps for my past self... it was the beginning of a brand-new life."

"I'm content with everything so far."

As she spoke, she glanced at Rita.

Rita smiled slightly.

For her, meeting Lady Bianka had also brought her immense contentment.

The scene shifted.

A spacious yet familiar hall came into view.

Durandal stood on the second floor of the hall, and the familiar surroundings filled her with nostalgia.

"The sanatorium... I miss it so much."

Nostalgia aside, given the current situation, Durandal couldn't simply accept this place as the sanatorium she had once lived in.

She looked down, quickly noticing something unusual.

"However… the real sanatorium didn't have this…"

Gazing at the life-sized, motionless Homu doll standing in the center of the hall, Durandal frowned and made a decision.

"Investigate it."

The Homu doll was entirely white, making Bronya exclaim in surprise and call it heresy and a bootleg. Ignoring its color for the moment, however, everyone could see that it was fast asleep.

A Homu doll fast asleep? The scene was undeniably eerie.

But considering this was an abnormal space, the strangeness was within acceptable limits.

Durandal approached the Homu doll and first greeted it politely, perfectly befitting a Valkyrie's etiquette and ladylike manners.

But the doll seemed to be fast asleep and remained unresponsive.

Polite Durandal decided to greet it once more.

Unfortunately, the only response was snoring.

For some reason, hearing that snoring rekindled the temper she had long since outgrown.

With a perfect "well" sign, Durandal very ladylike kicked the Homu doll in the butt.

The ease with which she did it made one wonder whether she had done it many times before.

To this, Durandal stated that she was very ladylike.

It was simply that the Homu doll was ungrateful.

Kiana agreed wholeheartedly, saying that if it were her, she would never kick someone in the butt.

How could anyone kick someone in the butt?

If it were her, she would definitely deliver a fatal slap to the butt instead.

She even demonstrated the motion a couple of times as she spoke, her vivid expression sending chills down the spines of the men present.

Meanwhile, in the scene,

Although it didn't receive a fatal slap, the sleeping Homu doll was suddenly kicked, causing it to jump up while clutching its butt and crying out in pain.

"Ouch, ouch, ouch, ouch, ouch—Hmm? Who are you? Although my memory isn't very good, I don't think I've seen you around here before."

Leaving aside the question of why the doll could feel pain, after calming down, it looked at Durandal with a bewildered expression.

"This is indeed our first meeting."

Durandal briefly introduced herself.

"So, who are you?"

"Me? I must be a consciousness that's forgotten even its own name and appearance. What do I look like to you?"

The Homu doll scratched its head curiously, making the action look rather comical.

"...A giant rag doll."

Durandal was silent for a moment before giving her answer.

Hearing this, the Homu doll looked surprised and muttered,

"A rag doll? Let me guess... Is it Homi? Ah, no, maybe it's Hola? It can't be King Homu, can it?"

Its conflicted self-talk amused Durandal, though she also found it rather strange.

"Uh... why don't you just look down at yourself?"

"...Sigh, of course it's because I can't see myself."

The Homu doll sighed before answering.

This response, combined with what had happened earlier, seemed to help Durandal connect the dots, leaving her somewhat bewildered.

"Can't see myself? You mean—"

"Yes. Because I've completely forgotten my name and appearance. In this space, forgetting means being lost."

The Homu doll looked rather dejected as it gestured comically.

"When I look at myself… let's just say what I see is a semi-transparent… frosted-glass figure."

"..."

Durandal's expression softened into one of pity—or perhaps speechlessness.

The Homu doll chuckled, seemingly unconcerned.

"Hey. Don't make that face. Once you get used to it, it's not that inconvenient."

Q&A Space.

"Is this what those notes in the previous video mentioned about the loss?"

Mei adjusted her glasses, looking at the doll in the video with concern.

"This doll… should be the owner of that message in a bottle, right?"

"Most likely. Even if not, it's definitely closely related."

Einstein nodded slightly before glancing at Siegfried.

Seele seemed somewhat surprised.

"Hmm… the owner of that photo is Uncle Siegfried, right?… If the Homu doll is the owner of the photo, then doesn't that mean Uncle Siegfried has become a Homu doll?!"

From a living person to a living Homu doll...

The beginning was one thing, but the ending…

—Bronya's ecstatic joy.

"Bronya refuses to accept a bootleg Homu!"

Bronya immediately crossed her arms into an X, her face falling.

A white Homu? She had never even heard of one. As a Homu enthusiast, she refused to have any affection for the white bootleg Homu in the picture.

"Behave yourself."

Mei tapped Bronya on the head before speaking again.

"That doll might not be Uncle Siegfried, but… it definitely has a strong connection to him."

"I think this appearance is very likely the result of so-called wear and tear."

Forgetting his name and forgetting himself, he could only maintain his appearance through that comical Homu image—

the deepest memory between him and his beloved daughter.

Viewed that way, didn't it make perfect sense?

Of course, if you thought about it that way, then Homu should be yellow.

Why was it white?

—The scene slowly zoomed in.

"Oh dear, I slept really well just now—"

It stretched lazily before asking curiously,

"—So, what were you planning to do by waking me up?"

"I need to get through here," Durandal stated directly.

But the answer puzzled the doll.

"Get through? But this hall doesn't lead anywhere."

"...What do you mean?"

Durandal clearly didn't understand, and the Homu doll quickly corrected itself.

"I mean, I've never discovered that this place leads anywhere else. Hmm—"

It wanted to deny it, but as it spoke, it realized something was wrong. Scratching its head, it muttered,

"No, no. Since I've forgotten my own appearance and name… perhaps I originally remembered how to get in and out of here, but I've simply forgotten?"

The sight left Durandal speechless.

This doll… seemed a little unreliable.

The Homu doll also realized that talking to itself wasn't a good habit and quickly apologized.

"I'm sorry, beautiful lady. I haven't been any help."

This answer left Cecilia with an expression caught between laughter and tears.

What was she supposed to say?

Back then, Siegfried had flirted with her in exactly the same way.

Well… actually, he treated other women the same way. At least in Cecilia's memory, almost every woman in her squad had been subjected to that kind of flirting from Siegfried.

And now, that sweet talk was being directed at... "her"!

Cecilia glared at Siegfried, her face full of displeasure.

"You rascal…"

But along with her displeasure came a pang of heartache.

This was, after all, her husband.

And now he was like this in the scene.

Sigh…

—Durandal in the scene sighed. Then, in the next instant, she remembered what she had found earlier.

She took out the notes and photograph she had collected, handed them to the doll, and asked,

"These photographs and notes… did you leave them?"

The giant doll looked at the damaged photograph with unfamiliar eyes. The huge yellow doll in the picture stood out prominently.

"...Is this how you see me?"

The Homu doll still seemed troubled by its appearance. Durandal wasn't in a hurry and simply described what she saw.

"No. To be precise, you look much more weathered than in the photo. After all, you've faded to white."

"Okay..."

"...Hmm?"

The giant doll froze after seeing the handwriting on the note.

"This... is indeed my handwriting..."

It frowned, looking somewhat comical, before apologetically saying,

"But I'm sorry. I truly have no memory of the experiences recorded here."

Durandal fell silent before sighing.

"...That can't be helped, can it?"

"It sounds strange, but I've also lost some memories, so I know what that feels like."

The doll's situation reminded her of her own similar experience, giving her greater patience.

"Those versions of you that others describe, those versions of you preserved in records, those versions of you that exist in illusions… you'll eventually realize they're all just illusions."

"Unless..."

As she mentioned a possibility, Durandal frowned before immediately shaking her head.

"...No, I can't judge something I've never experienced."

Looking at the somewhat withdrawn Homu doll, she took a deep breath and spoke in a comforting tone.

"Anyway, since you don't know the way out either, let's carefully investigate every corner of this place together."

"After all, it seems you've broken through similar spaces more than once before."

Her words jolted the withdrawn Homu doll to its feet.

"Hmm... you're right."

"Since I left those marks, it at least proves that I've reached the deepest part of this place by myself many times!"

The dejection vanished from its comical face, replaced by Homu's signature smile.

It raised its fist and exclaimed excitedly,

"All right! I suddenly feel confident!"

"Come on! Let's find the clues, find the memories, and find the path to freedom!"

This sudden burst of enthusiasm caught Durandal off guard. She had only intended to comfort it.

Forcing a smile, she replied,

"Ah... ah, okay."

(This person's mood changes really quickly.)

---

Chapter 270: Memories of the Past

One person and Homu began diligently searching for clues to escape from the not-so-large area.

Soon, in a corner, Durandal found a flower bud device extremely similar to the one she had touched upon entering.

As before, she activated the bud.

The next instant, the scene changed.

Judging from the surrounding environment, it appeared to be a laboratory.

Through the fragmented vision, a panting young man burst in.

"Huff... huff..."

The figure was somewhat blurry but not unfamiliar because, upon closer inspection, they could see that the young man was identical in appearance to Su, who was currently standing beside them.

Unlike his usual composure, Su looked as though he had just survived a major battle. He was quite disheveled and appeared extremely excited.

"Mei! Kevin is alive! He'll be back soon. Then you can be reunited."

He shared the good news with the other figure in his field of vision, whose image appeared on the screen.

Wearing a thin white lab coat identical to Mei's, making one wonder if Mei had simply put on a pair of glasses, Su's presence confirmed that this person, who looked so similar to Mei, was none other than the most outstanding scientist of the glorious Previous Era—

—Dr. Mei.

But Dr. Mei at this moment was clearly not as spirited as everyone remembered.

Compared to how everyone had seen her in the previous videos, Dr. Mei now looked incredibly weak. Even standing was a difficult task.

Despite her frailty, the good news brought by Su undoubtedly comforted her.

"...Thank goodness, he's still alive."

"He's humanity's only hope now. As long as he's alive, our civilization won't perish."

"It's a pity... I won't be able to see him one last time."

Dr. Mei's words, filled with regret and sorrow, rang in Su's ears. Her voice was incredibly weak, yet it struck him like a bolt from the blue.

"...Mei?!"

Having caught his breath, Su finally noticed Dr. Mei's condition. Combining it with her words, he froze, hesitant to speak.

"Could it be... that your illness has returned—"

Dr. Mei's pale face showed a sorrowful smile as she whispered weakly:

"My body... seems to have reached its limit. Now, I can't even see your face clearly."

"For a while, I almost couldn't maintain my consciousness..."

"Now my mind is a little clearer, but I'm afraid it's only temporary lucidity."

The shocking purple markings on the collar of her white coat—signs of Honkai corruption—echoed the self-deprecating remarks of humanity's greatest scientist regarding her own condition.

"..."

Seemingly sensing the young man's dejected mood, Dr. Mei forced a smile and spoke sincerely.

"Thank you, Su. Thanks to your medicine, I've been able to hold on until now."

"So I have time... to leave behind my final project."

"There are letters on the table, one for Kevin and the other for you."

She weakly arranged her final preparations, whispering:

"You know what Kevin is carrying... You can read his letter, learn about the plans, and learn about our child..."

Speaking of the child, Dr. Mei smiled despite clearly being at her limit.

But the next moment, looking at Su, she fought back her dazed state, remained clear-headed, and solemnly repeated:

"...But, Su, you absolutely, absolutely, must not let him see what I wrote in the letter I gave you."

"But... why?" Su asked, puzzled. "Why me?"

"...You'll understand once you read it."

Dr. Mei didn't give a detailed answer because she realized that her remaining time was insufficient to explain the purpose of that arrangement.

Looking at Su, she lowered her head apologetically.

"I'm sorry. I have to make this decision."

"..."

After Su left, Dr. Mei, who had been standing there, leaned against the lab table and slowly slid to the floor.

Her eyes were downcast, her dim gaze seemingly reflecting a certain figure.

"I'm sorry, Kevin... I told you that I was cured, and that once you came back from the moon, we could be together forever..."

"Every time, did you know I was lying, yet you still chose to believe me?"

As if looking back on the past at the end of her life, Dr. Mei smiled.

It was clearly a smile, yet it contained nothing but apology and... sadness.

As a fellow pioneer, this scene was quite unfamiliar to Fu Hua because she had entered the hibernation pod long before.

Frankly, Fu Hua didn't like Dr. Mei—or at least, she didn't get along with her.

She respected Dr. Mei for her talent and contributions, but as a normal, emotional human being, Fu Hua felt she couldn't truly connect with someone like her.

But now, witnessing the secrets of this once-brilliant genius before her death, Fu Hua, who could only regard Dr. Mei as an old friend, sighed to ease the heaviness in her heart.

Tesla could sense the other's sorrow. After a moment of silence, she looked at Kevin and asked somewhat puzzled.

"Aren't you interested in that so-called letter?"

This question immediately attracted everyone's attention.

The letter that Dr. Mei had repeatedly instructed Su to never let Kevin see—after all, Kevin was her partner.

What kind of letter was it? Most people would undoubtedly be curious.

Kevin, however, showed no reaction to that curiosity. He simply and succinctly stated his opinion:

"That was Mei's arrangement."

That was all.

As far as he was concerned, since Mei didn't want him to see the letter, he wouldn't read it even if he was genuinely curious.

"More than the letter, I'm more concerned about... why are there images from the Previous Era appearing in that space?"

Mei rested her chin on her hand, clearly concerned.

"If they were images from Uncle Siegfried's memories, that would be understandable."

"But regarding the Previous Era... judging from the footage, it's impossible that Dr. Mei could have recorded what happened under those circumstances."

Tesla, supporting her back, couldn't help but complain,

"Even if she had, it still doesn't explain why they would appear in such a strange place."

"...Those must be memories—memories belonging solely to someone," Fu Hua suddenly said, drawing everyone's attention.

Tesla hesitated.

"Memories?... That makes sense, but judging from the footage, who do they belong to? Dr. Mei? Or Su?"

"They obviously have nothing to do with Siegfried..."

Einstein rubbed her forehead, feeling a strange headache coming on. She sighed and said slowly,

"There's no point dwelling on these questions. Let's continue watching. Perhaps with more information, the answer will become clear."

Returning to the imagery,

Durandal was confused by this memory, which clearly belonged to someone long gone.

But the Homu doll seemed deeply apathetic, offering only perfunctory responses to her confusion.

Fortunately, it at least showed a sense of familiarity when reacting to the memory.

But that was all. When confronted with Durandal's questions, the Homu doll remained completely clueless.

After comforting Durandal, the two resumed searching for other clues.

In another corner, they successfully triggered yet another memory.

The owner of this memory seemed to be—Kallen Kaslana.

From what they could see, it appeared to be a childhood memory of Kallen and her father.

From her childlike words and actions, everyone could sense a mischievous and lively white-haired little girl.

Of course, the most intriguing part was "Kaslana's Gunfight Technique."

After the memory ended, the Homu doll seemed to have a very peculiar reaction to it.

For example, reciting "Kaslana's Gunfight Technique" filled it with an inexplicable surge of excitement.

Noticing this, Durandal skillfully demonstrated a set of Kaslana's Gunfight Technique, attempting to evoke the doll's memories.

Considering that the Homu doll was definitely related to Siegfried,

Bianka felt somewhat awkward watching the scene.

After all, if the doll truly was Siegfried, then the outsider Bianka was performing gun-fu in front of a prominent Kaslana warrior.

In a sense, it was like showing off before an expert or trying to teach a fish how to swim.

"Relax, your gun-fu is just as good as Siegfried's."

Cecilia placed a hand on Bianka's shoulder, gently comforting her while unceremoniously criticizing her husband.

Bianka scratched her cheek.

"Hmm... I'm confident about that."

Although Bianka had always thought she was fairly ordinary,

she also believed she had reached her current position through hard work. While she might not be particularly skilled at spear riding, she did know a thing or two about Kaslana gun-fu.

Speaking of which, Bianka had always felt she had a natural talent for gun-fu.

When she learned Kaslana's gun-fu at headquarters, she could master it after watching it only twice. Sometimes she even wondered whether she had learned it before.

Of course, compared to everyone else who cared about gun-fu, Otto was naturally more concerned about Kallen.

As Kallen's devoted admirer, seeing young Kallen's adorable appearance nearly caused his Soulium computing center to short-circuit.

Specifically, it manifested as:

"Hiss... hiss... Kallen... my saintly Kallen!"

Even a certain Caster in the set next door would be impressed enough to call him a peer.

Mei, standing to the side, stroked her chin thoughtfully and said with a hint of helplessness:

"Durandal... Dr. Mei... Saint Kallen... these three memories... seem completely unrelated."

"...Indeed. The time span between them is far too great, but I think they must have something in common."

Einstein nodded calmly.

"Segfried."

"I think the following images... should provide us with more clues."

As she spoke, everyone's gaze turned to the slowly unfolding images.

Durandal successfully found a flower bud device different from the previous ones.

This appeared to be the device used to leave that space.

But at that moment, the Homu suddenly fell silent.

According to it, it had simply played too poorly, spending the entire time teleporting around and being essentially useless.

Durandal offered a few words of comfort.

This prompted the Homu doll to comment:

"I always feel you're very good at encouraging yourself and others while staying rational."

"I was just quoting something someone told me before."

Bianka sighed softly and smiled.

"The path we walk every moment determines the meaning of our lives."

"So although forgetting the path we came from is regrettable, as long as we understand the direction we're heading, the past will silently guide us."

"Walking every step well? That's certainly a good goal."

The Homu doll nodded its comical head, reflecting on many things with a touch of self-deprecation.

"Not too lofty, but certainly not easy either. After all, many people could have gone far, but ended up like me."

Of course, this self-deprecation earned nothing more than an eye roll from Bianka.

"What are you talking about? Isn't life all about moving forward? Forgetting who you were in the past doesn't mean you'll lose your future."

"Let's go. Cheer up—we should keep moving."

Bianka said softly, activating the bud-shaped device as her figure was swallowed by the blooming vortex.

Another memory was revealed before everyone's eyes.

It was still Bianka's past.

But this time, the location wasn't the sanatorium but Schicksal Headquarters.

This memory was the first meeting between Bianka Ataegina and Rita Rossweisse.

Looking at the somewhat arrogant little blonde girl in the image, the current Rita couldn't help but cover her mouth and chuckle.

"Lady Bianka back then was truly unforgettable."

The current strongest Valkyrie had once been a clueless, arrogant girl who couldn't even tell left from right.

If you told that to the younger generation at headquarters, they probably wouldn't believe it.

"It's all in the past!"

Even with Bianka's current personality, having this part of her past exposed to everyone made her feel a little embarrassed, her cheeks flushing.

"Miss Rita hasn't changed much."

Seele, standing beside her, compared the young Rita in the image with the current Rita, feeling a strange sense of nostalgia.

Rita was taken aback by the comment. She scratched her cheek, somewhat uncertain.

"Hmm... you've changed a lot, haven't you?"

"But if you're talking about my attitude and the way I handle people and situations, then in that regard, I haven't changed much."

Everything depended on comparison.

Compared to Durandal's evolution from a tsundere into someone adorably clumsy, Rita's maid persona had remained largely unchanged.

As she spoke, another question appeared.

【19.② What is the first creature Bianka encounters next?】

【A. Homura】

【B. Homei】

【C. Homu Doll】

【D. Hola】

【Reward: Dance of Resurrection】

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