"What is Honkai? That's a rather broad question. In fact, even Fire Moth hasn't been able to establish a [unified], text-based definition for Honkai." Vasquez's voice was as raspy as ever.
"But saying that, doesn't it imply Honkai is sothing completely unknown to us humans? Facing the unknown, can humanity truly..." The host opposite him deserved a bonus. She not only asked the questions everyone cared about but also controlled the pace of the conversation step by step.
Of course, her sweet voice and smile, a stark contrast to Vasquez's, along with her deliberately exposed snowy white thighs, slightly eased the weight of the topic.
"Not understanding doesn't an unbeatable or unusable. Our ancestors learned to use, extinguish, and control fire fifty thousand years ago, yet humanity only grasped the specific scientific principles behind fire generation in modern tis."
"Oh? Are you implying that Fire Moth is now confident in defeating Honkai, controlling Honkai, and even utilizing Honkai in return?"
"Control and victory should be considered together. As long as we can achieve victory, we can achieve control. As for utilization—in fact, we started using Honkai Energy as a power source to fight back against Honkai very early on." Vasquez patiently elaborated on each point.
Of course, though his chin was held high, his gaze remained firmly fixed on the host's thighs.
Seemingly sensing his intense stare, the host's previously pressed-together legs shifted self-consciously before she nonchalantly changed posture, crossing one leg over the other.
But to say she was shy would be unnecessary.
Michael rested his chin on his hand, watching the scene unfold with amusent.
Despite her demure leg movents, her eyes occasionally flirted with the old widower Vasquez... ah...
"Therefore, I believe, regarding Honkai, even if we don't know its principles, as long as we grasp its manifestation—the Herrschers—then the problem is solved. While specific details cannot be disclosed, our Fire Moth now possesses the capability to easily eliminate Herrschers. The previously eliminated Herrscher was codenad the Ninth Herrscher. As the na suggests, it was already the ninth one."
"Is that so? Is Fire Moth that powerful?"
"Naturally. When Fire Moth was just a small organization under the United Governnt, we could handle nine—no, actually eight Honkai Eruptions. So now, after the rger of the United Governnt and Fire Moth, how could a strengthened Fire Moth fear the Herrschers?" Vasquez took a drag from his cigar, looking imnsely proud. Although, technically, he had been removed from his position as Fire Moth's leader, it was largely a nominal role anyway, and his official statent frad it as an "abdication."
Suffice it to say, propaganda and reality often diverge greatly.
"Is defeating the Herrschers enough? Will Herrschers continue to be born indefinitely? Will humanity fight Herrschers forever?"
"No. I can responsibly tell everyone that the final battle between humanity and Honkai has entered its countdown—based on various data analyses and calculations, there are thirteen Herrschers in total. Defeating the thirteenth Herrscher ans salvation, ah no, evolution for humanity. And now, we only have four left to face."
"Ah! So it's like clearing stages in a ga! It hasn't been easy for Fire Moth to single-handedly carry humanity this far!" The host offered tily complints, but her tone sharpened as she changed the subject: "However, during the battle with the Ninth Herrscher, humanity lost the entire Mu Continent. Such a loss..."
She deliberately dragged out the last word. Vasquez remained unfazed, skillfully deploying the prepared excuse: "I must declare one point: humanity has not lost the Mu Continent, nor have the humans on the Mu Continent perished. In fact, we employed entirely new thods and powers to allow them to survive in..."
i burst through the door energetically, waving her hand as she entered. The program instantly went silent.
Michael pursed his lips and handed her two partially completed transfer orders.
"You're taking Imr and Klein away?" i's lip twitched twice.
"While I don't mind, did you get Mobius's consent beforehand? Also, if Imr leaves, what about the surveillance on Vasquez, Taro, and the other forr United Governnt higher-ups? Poisonous Cocoon has just been re-established, and you're transferring the person in charge already?"
Michael gave a couple of wry laughs, teasing, "I thought you'd ask why I'm transferring them."
i shook her head, remaining silent.
Protheus No. 17 helpfully chid in from the side: "The Doctor isn't avoiding the question; she's simply more concerned with the 'consequences' of doing so than the reason."
"Mobius and I discussed it earlier. As for Imr, I plan to have Sakura temporarily take over Poisonous Cocoon. Whether considering strength, seniority, or familiarity with Poisonous Cocoon's operations, I believe she's capable."
"Mmm—" i drew out the sound, getting to the main point: "So, what do you need them for? And for how long?"
Tap, tap, tap, tap... Michael rhythmically tapped his index finger on the desk. Though an unconscious gesture, it was sowhat impolite.
But i didn't care about that. What she wanted to unravel was a long-standing question she felt she could no longer ignore—
"Michael, do you know sothing... very special? Like, perhaps, a possible future?"
"How did you find out? When did you find out?" Michael leaned back, resting his weight against the chair. He didn't deny it, nor did he intend to, or rather, at this point, there was no need to deny it.
"The mont I learned Seele beca the Sixth Herrscher, I was almost certain you knew sothing—previously, you used the excuse of finding Seele's relatives to make her disappear for a year and a half. But according to my investigation, Seele's relatives are unreliable, and I don't believe anyone would hand over a [sister] like Seele so readily.
"Moreover, if you had truly returned Seele to her relatives, why would you regularly send her dicine? Those psychiatric drugs aren't expensive, nor are they controlled substances."
Michael spread his hands, gesturing for her to continue boldly.
"And a year and a half later, Seele reappeared in everyone's sight, but as a Herrscher. I even suspected you for a ti... But looking back now, it makes more logical sense that you already knew Seele would beco the Sixth Herrscher and tried to find a way for her to escape that fate. It's just that for a long ti, I couldn't piece together the final puzzle—what thod did you actually use."
"So you've figured it out now?"
"Yes. Actually, Kevin and Hua's accounts hinted at the answer long ago, but I didn't pay much attention. Until a week ago, when you coordinated with the Second Divine Key to coil the Mu Continent into a World Bubble, allowing it to survive in the Sea of Quanta—you took Seele to the Sea of Quanta, didn't you!
"That place isn't connected to the Imaginary Tree. If one could survive there, they naturally wouldn't have the possibility of becoming a Herrscher. And coincidentally, just before Seele reappeared, the battle with Vishnu involved the Sea of Quanta. It's possible Seele was swept back into the real world from the Sea of Quanta because of that, leading to the tragedy."
The smile gradually faded from Michael's face. He remained relaxed against the chair, but his hands were now clasped, resting on his crossed leg.
"So, what's your guess? What do you think I know? Why do you think I know these things?"
i leaned forward, clasping her hands similarly over her mouth.
"Initially, my thoughts were more timid. I just guessed that, as a Herrscher yourself, you should be able to sense potential Herrscher candidates, so you predicted Seele would beco one. But a week ago, I rejected that idea—she is also a Herrscher, yet she was completely unprepared for Seele becoming one.
"And it wasn't an isolated incident. During the Fifth Honkai Eruption, you also encountered the Herrscher candidate beforehand, but you didn't foresee her identity. Elysia even entrusted Seele to her care. These facts prove the previous assumption was wrong."
Michael rubbed the stubble on his chin, smiling. "So you naturally concluded—it's not the Herrscher identity that's special, but Michael as an existence, correct?"
"Yes. After all, if we assu you know a possible future, looking back at the past based on that premise explains many contradictory actions—for example, back in R'lyeh, why did you randomly ask Kevin out for noodles? Why did you randomly take him onto the helicopter?"
"Couldn't it just be sothing I did on a whim?"
"Given your personality, I don't believe you'd be so lax while on duty. Questioning a high school student is one thing, but abandoning your post? Not to ntion, later, when entering combat, shouldn't a normal soldier's first thought be to send him directly to the underground shelter? Even if he claid to be my boyfriend back then, you shouldn't have involved him in the battle—unless you already knew his future."
"Well, I really didn't expect to leave so many clues along the way." Michael spread his hands. Although he didn't explicitly confirm it, i knew her guess was entirely correct.
In the novels Michael used to read, including the transmigration novels that naturally existed in this world, the scene where the transmigrator reveals their identity to important characters within the world was often a crucial, satisfying mont.
But when it ca to his own "showdown," it was neither as thrilling as imagined, nor tear-jerking, nor particularly solemn.
He and i were just like... oh, the "like" could be removed.
They finished discussing such an important issue amidst casual, everyday chat, through i's confident and ticulous analysis and Michael's "uh-huhs" and "yep, yeps."
One dared to guess, the other dared to answer.
And so the entire process beca utterly ordinary, uneventful.
"Alright, I won't press for the reason. I just want to know: so, Imr and Klein, they will be the Tenth and Eleventh Herrschers? And you choose to take them into the Sea of Quanta again, like you did with Seele?" i pondered silently. Although the thod was old-fashioned and... flawed, it was indeed practical and reliable, as long as battles involving the Sea of Quanta like the one with Vishnu didn't occur.
However, things were rarely as simple as she imagined.
Seeing Michael shake his head, she narrowed her eyes slightly, countless possibilities flashing through her mind in an instant.
But just a second later, she would realize that all the possibilities she considered paled in comparison to the shocking nature of Michael's next words.
"The Tenth and Eleventh Herrschers respectively? No, no, how could that be? They will both beco individuals of the Tenth Herrscher."
"Individuals?"
Michael tapped his toes on the floor, leaning his entire chair back along with his body.
i really... clearly wanted to know the future Michael saw, but kept holding back from asking. Since she had guessed this much, Michael naturally saw no need to hide it.
"The Tenth... Thunk!"
"Ha— Ha—" Protheus let out two chanical laughs. i's lip twitched uncontrollably.
Michael, holding the desk with one hand and his waist with the other, awkwardly got back up. He turned, righted the chair, and when he sat down again, he only occupied the front third, knees together, hands on his knees, looking like a well-behaved child.
He scratched his head awkwardly, then spread his right hand, constructing a docunt within it.
"I won't say more. Just read this directly."
i began flipping through it familiarly—
[Tenth Herrscher... Thousand? Is that how my original self solved it... Eleventh... the tragedy of Binding... Twelfth Herrscher, Sakura's sister... Thirteenth? Huh? Isn't Thirteen the Herrscher of Finality... Elysia... Facing the despair spreading among the Fla-Chasers, she proactively revealed her Herrscher identity, hoping to reunite everyone by fighting a common enemy, finally...]
"I see..." i closed the docunt, closed her eyes, and thought for a mont. When she opened them again, the docunt had dissipated into faint blue fluorescence.
"So cautious?"
"Have to be. Forget others, if Mobius saw this, strange... things might happen."
"Indeed. At the very least, Rin would definitely be dragged off by her for all sorts of research... Eh, wait, Rin, this ti, aren't you also..."
"Yes. I've already spoken with Sakura and Aponia. The ti between Herrscher appearances is getting shorter now. Better prepare early. Besides, more people in the World Bubble makes it livelier."
"Mmm..." i crossed her arms, tapping her right index finger on the back of her left hand. She suddenly turned to Protheus, entered a long encrypted command string, and then projected the blueprint of a device.
"Take a look at this. See if you can construct it."
"This is..."
"Judging by Sakura's situation, the Sea of Quanta doesn't exactly 'welco' everyone. This device helps the user maintain their unitarity, making it more suitable for travel within the Sea of Quanta. It also has communication functions; if stable, it might even maintain communication with the real world."
Before she finished speaking, a small device resembling a pocket watch appeared in Michael's hand.
"I think you misunderstand. I'll take them directly into a World Bubble; they won't need to traverse the dium within the Sea of Quanta... No, you an... you want them to use this opportunity to search for the Mu Continent's World Bubble?"
"Not quite that aggressive. Just wanted you to test this device."
Michael understood. This device, similar to Gnus, was just a scout i sent out towards the goal of "reclaiming the Mu Continent."
Knowing her personality, there were undoubtedly larger, more ntally taxing plans to follow.
"Sigh..." Michael sighed deeply, saying half-genuinely, half-jokingly: "You, Mobius, and Vill-V, all working so hard, I'm becoming idle. Those two are one thing, but if you keep working overti like this, I'm afraid Kevin will co looking for trouble with ..."
"Trouble?" i blinked innocently, asking back: "Why would he look for trouble with you?"
"Er, well..." The atmosphere instantly beca incredibly awkward.
Michael couldn't tell if i was playing dumb, but since she acted clueless, Michael couldn't exactly say, "Kevin's lonely guarding an empty room," could he?
"Ha— Ha— Ha—" Protheus laughed one extra ti.
"Alright, I understand. I'll hand my work over to Protheus tonight. Yes, No. 17, thank you for your trouble tonight."
Protheus No. 17 couldn't laugh this ti.
Of course, this was just the anthropomorphized emotion Michael attributed to her in his thoughts. Although No. 17 was equipped with a "very mature" human emotion module, Michael didn't believe programming could replace hormonal secretions to evolve natural embarrassnt.
Thus, only her cold, chanical voice sounded: "Understood, Doctor. I will skip tasks I cannot process and leave them for you to handle during overti tomorrow evening."
"Pfft!" Michael suppressed a laugh, reaching out to pat No. 17's head. Unfortunately, his hand passed through the projected body; he couldn't touch the physical entity.
"Right, No. 17, help relay a ssage to Kevin—tell him to get so tomatoes and eggs from logistics. I'll handle dinner tonight."
"..." Both Michael and Protheus fell silent.
Finally, Michael grimaced and hinted: "i, I actually think... since you finally have a night off, maybe let Kevin handle the cooking. He's not reliable with other dishes, but whether it's instant noodles or boiling noodles, he's quite good... No, should say very good."
i pushed her glasses up, her cheeks visibly flushing red. "Every ti we went on dates before, we either got takeout from the cafeteria or he made noodles for . I always thought that one day, I'd cook for him on a date. Of course, I'm self-aware about my skill level, which is why I chose scrambled eggs with tomatoes, the simplest dish."
Quite the "self-awareness"!
Michael desperately wanted to tell i that it was precisely because of her overly potent genes that her and Kevin's descendants...
Completely lost the ability to cook.
If that were all, it might be fine, but there was also a certain shorty, suspected of having taste bud failure, hopelessly addicted to bitter lon juice.
Kaslanas and cooking... Tragic doesn't even begin to cover it.
"Oh right, Michael, during the Christmas holiday, I had Sakura teach how to make sushi, a dish from my hotown. I'll make it tonight since I have ti. You'll each get a portion then."
"O... Okay..." Michael's face instantly turned green. If it were just one portion, Michael could endure it. But conservatively estimating, he'd likely have to bear Elysia's portion, Mobius's portion...
Maybe give it to Pardo and Hua instead... One isn't picky, and the other isn't picky either.
Just say it's a Far East specialty, just that... delicious!
"Ahem!" i coughed heavily. Imdiately, both Michael and Protheus No. 17 adopted serious expressions.
"Alright, your transfer orders are approved. Sakura's temporary appointnt as head of Poisonous Cocoon is issued. And Rin, her work at the sanatorium will be temporarily covered by Pardofelis. So, with all that settled, next..."
Michael's problems were solved, i's questions answered, jokes exchanged. Now, it was ti to address the "real business."
"Actually, the issue we need to discuss next, I already understood half of it from the information you gave earlier. But... regarding Elysia, I still have so principle-based questions to discuss with you."
"Yes, naturally. What I showed you earlier were 'results' untainted by my personal speculation or analysis." Michael narrowed his eyes, trying his best to control his facial expression.
"First, I must state, we already hold complete trust in Elysia. Of course, after seeing the results you provided, this trust has only increased."
Michael rubbed his forehead, conjuring a glass of ice water for himself and downing it in one go—after talking so much, even though mostly simple responses, his throat was indeed a bit dry.
i turned to look at No. 17. No. 17 tilted her head and brought over a glass of ice water with her chanical arm.
i touched the side of the glass with her finger, feeling its temperature.
She blinked at Protheus, montarily finding it hard to speak.
Clearly, Protheus couldn't understand her aning.
But Michael understood. He inwardly mourned for Kevin for two seconds—looks like even if i didn't work overti tonight, Kevin boy still wouldn't get lucky.
No. 17 connected to the internet, searched for topics related to "woman, ice water," and finally understood the problem.
"Apologies, Doctor. It was my oversight. I will have the logistics departnt prepare brown sugar water imdiately."
"...No need to trouble them, Protheus." Michael took the glass; white steam instantly rose from it.
"Thank you."
"It's fine. Thanks to Kevin during the sumr too."
"So, let's return to that topic." Michael narrowed his eyes. "You want to ask why Elysia doesn't have a [Core]? What exactly is her Authority?"
"No. What I want to ask is, regarding Elysia's ending, what else are you hiding?"
"!" Michael's hands, resting on his knees, quickly clenched.
"Alright, you asked for it yourself, i—regarding the fate Aponia keeps ntioning, it truly does exist."
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