"I am Raiden Mei, currently the Herrscher of Thunder."
"I-I'm Seele Vollerei, but everyone just calls me Seele. Right now, I am...the Herrscher of Death."
"Wendy, Herrscher of Wind."
"Kiana, sort of half-Herrscher of the Void!"
"And I am Ana Schariac...Herrscher of Ice."
In the conference room, Ana glanced at each girl present, her lips twitching slightly.
'Including your esteemed Alliance Leader, Anti-Entropy already has five complete Herrschers. To those unaware, they might think Anti-Entropy is Honkai's true representative!'
"Tap! Tap!"
After brief self-introductions, Wendy tapped the table, adopting a commander-like pose, and solemnly said:
"I'm the one among us who has mastered Herrscher abilities to the fullest extent and the only Anti-Entropy member with experience as a Valkyrie. So, there shouldn't be any issue with me leading the team, right?"
"Objection!"
"What is it, Kiana?"
"We're entrusted with the crucial mission to eliminate the Herrscher of a Thousand People. Rather than seniority, I believe intelligence matters more."
"I aced all the tests Zeke arranged, tying for first place with Bronya. Got perfect scores yourself?"
"...Are you out of your mind?!"
Slam! Raiden Mei stepped up, taking over from Zeke's role, and interrupted Kiana's angry outburst by slamming her onto the table with a single punch.
Both Ana and Seele flinched simultaneously.
Yet despite lying face-down on the table, Kiana lifted her head and stuck her tongue out at them playfully.
"Heh heh! Look how tense you both were—I was just joking. Feeling less stressed now? Don't worry, Wendy's got a sharp mind and plenty of combat experience; she'll make a great leader!" Kiana declared, giving them a confident thumbs-up.
Her bright, cheerful smile indeed helped ease the anxiety of the nervous Seele and Ana considerably.
"Thank you, Big Sister Kiana. Seele will do her best not to hold anyone back!" The youngest girl among them smiled gently, melting everyone's hearts and making them want instinctively to dote on her.
So, Kiana pulled little Seele into a hug, playfully tousling her soft bobbed hair as she protested with feigned indignance: "Ugh, this is unacceptable! How could that pompous Bronya beat me to winning over adorable Seele?! Curse it all! I wanted to be Seele's favorite big sister too!"
"But, Big Sister Kiana, Seele... Seele really likes Big Sister Kiana too."
"Aww! Can't take it anymore, you're just so cute! From now on, come sleep in my room, okay? Big Sis will spoil you rotten..." Ouch! Wendy tugged at Kiana's ear, pulling her away from the blushing Seele and freeing the embarrassed girl.
Wendy then fixed Kiana with a stare, her deadpan eyes expressing sheer exasperation as she said:
"That's enough; let's get down to business now. This is our first official collaboration, but given the Honkai-infested times we live in, it certainly won't be the last. No matter what, we need to show results and demonstrate our growth to those above us."
Wendy pointed upward—toward the ceiling, yet everyone knew she was referring to certain individuals. Although, for Kiana, Zeke's approval mattered most.
Kiana made a noncommittal sound and obediently returned to her seat.
Meanwhile, Ana, who had traveled all the way from Schicksal for her very first visit to Anti-Entropy's heavily fortified Inner City brimming with advanced weaponry, chuckled softly behind her hand, finally breaking through the initial awkwardness.
"As expected of the young ladies from the Schariac and Kaslana families. Your methods of relaxation are truly unique."
"Hold up! I'm not the heiress you're imagining—I'm just one of the clones created by your archbishop, albeit with the core of the Herrscher of the Void stuffed inside me... Well, I guess, in a sense, it makes sense to hold me accountable for the Siberian campaign."
Kiana spread her hands, looking utterly unconcerned.
"Wendy! Raiden Mei!" Kiana exclaimed.
Both girls wore expressions of deep distress and anxiety, while Seele appeared worried as well. Ana was completely taken aback.
Rubbing her nose, Kiana smiled nonchalantly. "It's just a truth that would've come to light eventually anyway. I've made peace with it long ago. No matter what, I feel incredibly fortunate to be here in this world. Of course, my background isn't something to boast about. The reason I'm sharing it is...the Herrscher of a Thousand People is exceptionally unique, employing bizarre methods and cunning schemes. They possess formidable intelligence-gathering capabilities. It's hard to say if they might have already uncovered my origins and planned some conspiracy around them. In any case, I believe it's better for everyone to be aware; it ensures greater safety."
Kiana spoke calmly, without any self-pity or resentment. Her composed demeanor reflected an extraordinary wisdom and foresight.
Ana stood stunned for several seconds before softly sighing. Gazing gently at Kiana, she said, "I understand now. Although our cause against Honkai aligns, I deeply regret how Schicksal treated you."
"No need. It has nothing to do with you; this is solely between me and Otto."
"Uh... In any case, your resilience puts me to shame. Compared to you, still struggling to control Herrscher powers like I am now...I truly feel unworthy of Schariac's glory." Ana chuckled wryly as she touched the feather pendant hanging around her neck.
This talisman was specially obtained by Lady Hera from one of Shenzhou's immortals. Thanks to its potent consciousness power, Ana could barely maintain her humanity. Reflecting on herself alongside Anti-Entropy's other Herrschers, Ana felt she was undoubtedly the weakest among them.
Kiana scratched her face, then patted Ana on the shoulder, grinning broadly.
"Don't worry about it! Controlling Herrscher powers isn't easy, you know. Don't be fooled by Wendy's smug look—she lost control back in the day too. If not for Zeke's help, she wouldn't be much better off than you now."
Caught off guard, Wendy looked up at Kiana, glaring briefly before shrugging it off. With a cough, she composed herself and declared sternly,
"Cough! Alright, let's get back to the main topic! Everyone, sit up straight!"
The girls sitting around her straightened up and turned their attention to Wendy, who had assumed the role of team leader.
Wendy nodded and continued, "The Herrscher of a Thousand People incited rebellions worldwide, using the chaos as cover to hide among the masses. Even if we locate them, they're experts at evading capture. Focusing on apprehending them alive would likely prove futile."
Kiana, Raiden Mei, and Ana all nodded, clearly already aware of this intelligence.
Only Seele seemed clueless, but given her tendency to comply, she quietly listened without offering any additional input.
"The rebellion will be handled by those higher-ups; our quintet's focus is solely on the Herrschers of a Thousand People. They excel at high-stakes games of hide-and-seek involving both wit and courage, so engaging them directly could be self-defeating. Instead, the most effective approach is a targeted strike—decapitation! While numerous, the individual Herrschers have limits to their numbers and replenishment speed. With proper preparation and swift large-scale elimination, we can deal them significant damage," Wendy analyzed logically.
Then Kiana added:
"The best approach would be to make the Herrscher of a Thousand People anxious. Only when they lose their composure can we identify their weaknesses and completely eliminate these pesky beings."
Raiden Mei nodded approvingly, saying, "That's correct. The Herrscher of a Thousand People isn't particularly strong, but their vigilance and scheming are quite troublesome. With them operating covertly against us... In the short term, aside from thorough preparation for a decisive strike, there really aren't any specific strategies that stand out."
The three exchanged glances and simultaneously sighed in resignation.