"Um..."
At this moment, Ana slowly raised her hand.
Under everyone's gaze, she hesitantly spoke up, "Actually, before coming here, Lady Hera mentioned to me... that the Herrscher of a Thousand People might have some plans involving me."
Wendy, Raiden Mei, & Kiana: "Huh?!"
Ana then recounted how the Herrscher had previously approached Hera, attempting to use her for a deal with the goddess.
Following her explanation, Kiana, Wendy, and Raiden Mei fell deep in thought.
They analyzed the situation one by one.
"In other words, the Herrscher of a Thousand People might possess the ability to interfere with other Herrschers' powers?"
"That makes sense now! I've been thinking that if I were the Herrscher of a Thousand People, I'd realize no matter how much chaos is stirred outside, it's impossible to truly shake Schicksal and Anti-Entropy..."
"So those actions could only serve as distractions to muddy the waters and buy time. To truly change the game, they would need a decisive force..."
"Based on this, that decisive force seems to be—us Herrschers?!"
"What do you think such an ability might entail? Force us to go berserk? It couldn't possibly involve controlling our Herrscher powers directly, right?"
"Zeke once said, 'Treat your enemy with strategic contempt but tactical respect.' Let's consider the worst-case scenario: What if their power allows them to directly steal our abilities? How would we handle that?"
Kiana, Wendy, and Raiden Mei all furrowed their brows simultaneously.
This possibility was quite alarming. If the Herrscher of a Thousand People could outright seize their powers, wouldn't that make her the bane of all Herrschers?
"That's too far-fetched; we wouldn't stand a chance! Don't forget, Uncle Welt encountered them before and took out quite a few using his pseudo-black-hole ability. While it's important to respect your enemy tactically, speculating about impossible abilities doesn't help anyone. Let's think this through—Uncle Welt mentioned they use illusions targeting people's weaknesses... Could manipulating us with these illusions be their method for stealing our powers?"
"It's worth considering, but still just speculation. Regardless, assuming our enemies can indeed steal abilities, we must avoid rash actions... Hmm, we'll need direct contact at least once to gather more intel. If they truly can steal abilities, having only one shouldn't make them overwhelmingly powerful—it should still be manageable... I believe it's worth trying."
With that, Kiana shifted her gaze toward Ana, who had the innocent demeanor of a well-behaved girl.
Raiden Mei and Wendy also turned to look at her, studied her briefly, and then nodded simultaneously.
Ana shuddered involuntarily.
"Wait! You're not seriously thinking of using me as bait, are you?"
Wendy offered a gentle smile. "Think about it: Their initial target was always you. Who better suited for the task, right?"
Raiden Mei's serene grin, reminiscent of a graceful Japanese woman, further eased any tension.
"Don't worry, we'll be right beside you. Nothing bad will happen," Kiana assured Ana with a grin as she gently patted her on the shoulder.
"You're it, little sis! Heh heh, since your power is suppressed by Fu Hua-sensei's feather anyway, you won't have much combat potential to begin with. That makes you perfect for testing the Herrscher of a Thousand People's abilities!"
The trio gazed at Ana warmly like a gentle spring breeze, causing beads of cold sweat to form on the Valkyrie's brow.
"Um, don't you think...this might be too hasty?"
"Don't fret! I'll ask Fu Hua-sensei to oversee and ensure your safety at the very least. Ana, believe in yourself!" Kiana patted Ana's shoulder, her bright white teeth gleaming innocently under the light.
Realizing that these three were beyond hope, Ana turned her pleading gaze toward Seele, the most well-behaved and kindhearted among them.
Receiving this call for help, Seele mustered up her courage. Under Ana's expectant look, she tugged at Ana's sleeve shyly and said,
"Good luck, Big Sister Ana!"
"...Ugh! What's wrong with all of you? Didn't we just theorize that our enemy can steal abilities? Doesn't that sound incredibly dangerous?" Ana anxiously took a deep breath but had to admit—despite putting herself at risk...it could indeed provide a valuable insight.
"Sigh, fine." Ana sighed and nodded reluctantly.
As she observed the identical radiant smiles on their faces, she couldn't shake the feeling that there was something eerily familiar lurking behind those grins.
"Hmm?"
In a distant world bubble within the Sea of Quanta, Zeke, deeply engrossed in his experiments, suddenly looked up and furrowed his brow as if sensing something.
"Handing it directly to them... Shouldn't be a problem, right? I personally trained them after all; their tactical and strategic thinking is solid at least. They likely have enough decision-making capability to find the appropriate entry point."
"Well, no matter—Welt and Fu Hua will keep an eye on things, and I've arranged for contingencies. Let them figure it out themselves."
Zeke dismissed these distractions and refocused fully on his work.
In the real world, three days later, at the coast thirty kilometers from Anti-Entropy Headquarters.
Ana Schariac, the current Herrscher of Ice and an unassuming Valkyrie with slender curves, long legs, fair skin, and striking beauty, gazed sorrowfully out at the sea.
Suddenly, a wave crashing onto the beach carried ashore a drenched, petite blonde girl.
She lay flat on the sand like a pitiful drowned maiden swept back by the tide.
Huh?
"Don't panic; I'm the Herrscher of a Thousand People. There was no other choice—you're meeting so close to Anti-Entropy's base. To avoid detection, I had to disguise myself as lifeless driftwood and let the ocean currents bring me ashore."
The golden-haired girl rose using unnaturally contorted movements, resembling a marionette in her comical pose. Pointing at Ana, she spoke ominously:
Ana blinked, taken aback.
"Lady Hera said this way, if things take a turn for the worse, I can immediately call for assistance from Anti-Entropy. It ensures my safety while minimizing suspicion."
"Oh, leveraging Anti-Entropy's power to eliminate me... Indeed, compared to involving Schicksal, it would make any mishap seem more accidental and less suspicious. Five hundred years of wisdom indeed—what cunning strategy!"
Naturally, the Herrscher of a Thousand People had her suspicions, but it didn't matter. The fate of one individual was inconsequential; they were willing to take this gamble.
After a brief pause, Ana, bewildered, asked, "...What assistance can you offer me?"
"That depends on what Hera is willing to provide in return."
"Lady Hera said she could refrain from personally pursuing and attacking you."
"...Damn! Trying to get something for nothing, huh?"
"No, Lady Hera mentioned it as a threat, leaving it up to you how to proceed."
"Hmph, I see. No prey without sight of game—you're right; expecting her help without any results is indeed unrealistic. I can weaken the Herrscher's power within you initially, and for further matters...let that old lady come talk to us herself. Here, hold my head—it serves as a medium."
The golden-haired girl detached her own head and handed it to Ana.
Staring dumbfounded at the disembodied head before her, Ana hesitated momentarily before her mouth dropped open wide in sheer astonishment, capturing the essence of a classic "OMG" meme scream.
"Oh no! A dead body! Somebody call 911!"