A bright moon, cold wind, and an empty, boundless land.
Machine guns, heavy artillery, Titan mechs, and swarms of unmanned combat drones formed a spectacular defensive ring.
Within the ring, Wendy sat gracefully on a chair, her legs tucked in, wearing a flowing light green dress.
Her ladylike posture was perfect—at least when she wasn't fighting or getting irritated by Sigurd.
All the firepower around her was prepared just for her.
If her Herrscher powers went out of control, this massive array of weapons was intended to be the welcoming barrage—Sigurd's exact words.
He even playfully warned her, patting her head: "Behave yourself, or I'll give you a beating."
"(•̀.̫•́)..."
"What's with that face? Thinking about what Sigurd said again?"
"Can't he be a little more tactful?"
"He's not usually tactful. He just says things as they are. Don't overthink it—he doesn't mean any harm. He's just telling you that if you lose control, he'll be there to take you down."
"...Who's taking down who is still up in the air!"
Pouting her cute, soft white face, Wendy turned away with a huff, both annoyed and resigned.
Einstein smiled gently but didn't correct Wendy's mistaken impression of Sigurd's strength. She asked instead:
"How are you feeling now?"
"Not too bad. There's this urge to destroy things, and the more I use my Honkai energy, the stronger the feeling gets. But I can still control it."
"Your mindset needs some adjusting... but don't worry. Yang went through this phase too. You can overcome it."
"I'm not afraid. I've been preparing for this moment for years, haven't I?"
Wendy sighed softly, her expression calm and gentle.
All the firepower arranged for her looked ruthless, but in reality, it wouldn't mean much to a Herrscher.
This show of force was mostly for others to see.
After giving a brief explanation, Sigurd had left without hesitation, while Einstein remained close, personally monitoring her. Wendy could sense their trust in her.
"Thank you," Wendy said, placing a hand on her still-developing chest and flashing a bright, warm smile at Einstein.
Though she had just crossed the threshold into adolescence and was still clearly youthful, her gentle nature, coupled with the unique aura of a Herrscher, made her radiant smile almost otherworldly.
It was enough to make even the calm Einstein momentarily lose focus.
—How does Sigurd do it? With such a beautiful girl, he talks about beating her up or even machine-gunning her. That's not just unmanly—it's inhuman!
"I have something to tell you: Theresa wants to come see you. Sigurd's fine with it, says it's a good chance to test your emotional control... so, there's that."
"As expected of him, cold-blooded as ever," Wendy's calm demeanor faded immediately.
She clenched a fist in frustration, grinding her teeth, though with a hint of helplessness.
Einstein casually monitored the data as she offered some lighthearted advice:
"Sigurd likes girls who behave. If you weren't so stubborn around him, he'd treat you a lot better."
"He should start by treating me with some respect! Always acting like I'm just some lackey or tool—I'm not putting up with it! Someday, I'll make him pay!"
If you can't stand him, just leave—Sigurd wouldn't stop you.
And as for making him pay? Knowing Wendy, she'd probably end up in his bed naked, face set in ahegao, eyes rolled back, drooling, and flashing peace signs toward the camera.
Einstein sighed.
Watching Wendy fuming, she could only shake her head in quiet resignation.
...
When Theresa arrived, Einstein and Himeko exchanged glances, then left together as if they had something to discuss, leaving the space to this pair who hadn't had a proper conversation in ages. Teacher and student, perhaps?
Theresa fidgeted with her hands, hesitating before approaching Wendy.
"Um... Are you okay? How's your health?" Theresa finally blurted out after a long struggle, her words awkward and dry.
Wendy's face was expressionless as she nodded.
"I'm fine."
"Uh... I heard you're a Herrscher now?"
"Yes."
"And... about what happened at the Oceania branch... I... I'm sorry."
After stuttering for a while, Theresa finally managed to say the three words she had been holding back for so long.
She looked at Wendy, her eyes dimming with guilt and unease.
Wendy stared back at her for a moment, then sighed—a surprisingly mature gesture for someone her age.
"Forget it. It's all in the past now. Whether you knew about the experiment back then or not, I agreed to it myself. Now, I have people who care about me and people I want to protect. I'm doing well, so I don't want to hold grudges anymore... As for you, I guess I just lost my admiration and illusions. I have no other feelings, so don't worry about it too much."
"I..."
Theresa desperately wanted to say something, but as countless words swirled in her mind, they were scattered by her confused thoughts. In the end, nothing came out.
She clutched her head, took a pale step backward, and crystalline tears slid down from the corners of her eyes.
"I... I didn't want this... I... I didn't know..."
"Principal Theresa?"
Wendy stood up, not fully understanding the situation but looking at Theresa with a hint of concern.
Then, footsteps echoed in the distance.
A delicate, jade-like hand gently rested on Theresa's shoulder, easing the anguish on her face.
Wendy saw Fu Hua, carrying a simple, ancient golden sword on her back.
She was dressed in a white qipao with red patterns, her presence serene and ethereal.
"Teacher Fu Hua, what's happening to her?" Wendy asked.
Fu Hua had taught many of the girls around Sigurd, and regardless of how much they had benefited, they all respectfully called her "teacher."
Over the years, they had frequented both Anti-Entropy headquarters and Mount Taixu, building strong bonds with Fu Hua.
Fu Hua smiled gently at Wendy, her expression filled with both comfort and encouragement.
"The power of the Herrscher was once something I considered ominous. But in truth, it is not power itself that determines good or evil—it is the person who wields it. I am glad we can still speak like this. I hope you can stay true to yourself and use this power to do what you truly wish, just as Welt has done, shining like the bright light he is."
"Yes, thank you, teacher!" Wendy replied with renewed determination, then turned toward Theresa, who still had tears in her eyes, frowning slightly.
Fu Hua extended her hand toward Theresa's forehead, as if observing something. After a moment, she sighed.
"Just as Sigurd suspected... mental interference, psychic restraints... This is most likely Otto's doing. The traces are deep, and your thoughts have been subtly twisted over time."
Theresa looked up at Fu Hua, biting her lip.
"What has Grandpa done to me?"
"A deep psychic suggestion that makes it impossible for you to resist him—or even hate him. Worse, he has regressed and locked your cognitive abilities and personality. From a mental perspective, the current you is no different from a real child."
At that moment, Theresa's face turned deathly pale, revealing a fragile, glass-like vulnerability.
After a long silence, Theresa let out a faint, bitter smile.
"Yes, I've known for a long time. Otherwise, how could I have remained silent about Cecilia and Kiana's affairs? How could I not have confronted Grandpa directly or even uttered a single word of complaint afterward? I suspect he's tampered with my memory as well."
An S-rank Valkyrie, the principal of St. Freya Academy, the highest authority of the Far East Branch, and a bearer of the illustrious surname 'Apocalypse'—a name symbolizing limitless power and honor. Yet only Theresa truly understood that she was merely Otto's puppet, a pet living according to his whims.
All of her so-called resistance and efforts were nothing more than a drama that Otto watched, amused from the palm of his hand.
Whenever Otto felt the story was heading in the wrong direction, Theresa would become a puppet on strings, forced to follow his will until he decided to loosen his grip.
"Heh..."
Theresa tilted her head back, staring up at the moon.
Deep within her heart, long-buried fear and despair bubbled to the surface.
That's why she had shown no reaction to the "Gem of Desire" experiment, why she had unconsciously avoided any related information.
Wendy had once been trapped in a mire of pain, yet Theresa had forgotten entirely about the child she herself had sent away.
All of these contradictions could be perfectly explained with one sentence—this was Otto's will.
<+>
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