"I refuse to fade into memory!"
"Oh, sh*t...+@$&..."
"Three against one? You guys have no shame whatsoever!"
"I'm gonna—beep—beep—beep—"
A shadow fell over the head of the still-spouting doll, as a slender white foot clad in pale green crystal heels gently lifted before stomping down.
"Bam!"
The ground cracked open, explosive energy crushing the last remaining doll's life force. Wendy looked up, only to see both sky and earth fragmenting and disappearing piece by piece.
"Is it over?" she whispered, filled with disbelief even as she spoke.
"Whoosh!"
A graceful black figure descended behind Wendy, each hand clutching several deep blue gemstones. Kiana had arrived at Wendy's side, removed her black helmet, and let out a long sigh, saying:
"Counting this one under your foot, we've collected 539 cores altogether. Considering the damage Uncle Welt and Zeke dealt earlier, that seems about right...but it can't be that easy, can it?"
A small black hole appeared by Kiana's hand as she tossed several gemstones radiating Honkai Energy into it, her brow furrowed with unease.
"I share your concern. I didn't sense any despair or fear near death from these creatures."
Raiden Mei sheathed her blade and slowly approached, blood still seeping from multiple wounds on her body. Unlike Wendy, who transformed into a Herrscher, or Kiana, equipped with formidable black armor, Raiden relied solely on her swordsmanship to fight, making her less at ease than her comrades.
The three exchanged glances, each frowning deeply.
After a moment, Kiana spread her arms wide, creating a black hole tall enough for two people side by side.
"Regardless, today's battle is over. This Virtual Space is nearly collapsing; let's leave first before discussing our next move."
"Agreed." x2
On the other side of the black hole lay Anti-Entropy Headquarters.
As Kiana, Raiden Mei, and Wendy emerged, they saw Fu Hua gently placing a golden feather against Ana's chest as she slept.
"How is she?" Kiana asked anxiously, trying to keep her emotions in check.
Fu Hua shook her head. "Her physical wounds aren't too concerning, but her Herrscher energy has weakened almost to nothing. The greatest challenge lies within her inner demons. Throughout history, countless heroes have arisen, yet very few can truly overcome themselves... Please stay by her side. Hopefully, she'll find her way out soon."
"...If I had known this would happen, I wouldn't have let her push herself so hard." Kiana crouched down, took Ana's slightly cold hand, and sighed sympathetically.
Both Ana and Cecilia bore the surname Schariac, and given Kiana's complicated family background, she couldn't help feeling particularly protective of Ana.
Wendy patted Kiana on the shoulder.
"From Welt's intelligence, we knew that the Herrscher of a Thousand People excels at exploiting people's weaknesses. We had already warned Ana about this possibility. But she told us as Schicksal's Valkyrie, she was prepared to face anything when stepping onto the battlefield... So let's trust her."
"I understand. The fact that she could regain her humanity from the Herrscher state speaks volumes about her strength. However, there's a difference between being strong and overexerting oneself... This time, she pushed herself too far. I should've stopped her sooner."
"Oh? You're aware of the distinction between strength and overexertion?"
"Facing challenges bravely is strength, but refusing help while doing so is overexertion... That's what Zeke taught me. Let her rest; things will get better eventually. I believe in her."
Kiana released Ana's hand, gently tucking stray strands of hair behind her ear, and sighed once more.
After a brief respite—during which Kiana safely stored multiple Herrscher of a Thousand People gemstones—the group reconvened in the conference room.
Kiana held a glass of milk with both hands, leaving a white smudge on her upper lip before it was licked clean by her pink tongue. Then she said:
"Since Ana's Herrscher abilities haven't returned, could that indicate the Herrscher of a Thousand People is still alive?"
"Not necessarily. It's possible the Herrscher powers they stole cannot be regained, but regardless, I doubt this matter will end so simply," Wendy calmly assessed.
Raiden Mei nodded her agreement and added, "This battle wasn't easy, demonstrating the significant enhancement of the Herrscher of a Thousand People's capabilities. However, given their cunning nature and fear of death, even with increased strength and confidence, it's unlikely they would recklessly engage us in a decisive confrontation—there must be more to their plan."
The group exchanged glances, satisfied by their shared understanding. Having teammates who were sharp-minded and highly capable provided immense reassurance.
Then Kiana smiled and said, "Assuming the Herrscher of a Thousand People still exists, they've become even more dangerous and undoubtedly hidden deeper. On the other hand, we've managed to unveil some of their mystery. The 'Dominance' aspect of the Herrscher of Dominance... I didn't expect it to involve controlling other Herrscher abilities. Based on Ana's experience, though, their control seems indirect and requires certain conditions to be met. The question now is: What exactly are those conditions?"
"First, being within the Theater of Domination; second, connecting to those threads; and third... mental collapse?" Raiden Mei attempted to reconstruct the scene from earlier, trying to pinpoint exactly how the Herrscher of a Thousand People exerted her control.
After some thought, Wendy stroked her chin and slowly said, "Being inside the Theater of Domination, the threads, mental collapse, loss of consciousness, defeat, severe injury, staying on the battlefield for more than five minutes, holding their heads, entering the theater alone... These seem to be the main conditions we can observe. By avoiding these triggers as much as possible, they likely won't steal our powers next time."
Kiana and Raiden Mei nodded in agreement.
Kiana's antenna-like hair swayed thoughtfully before she spoke with determination after considering it: "We should also take Uncle Welt's situation into account. Based on his experience, entering the theater alone or spending time there probably isn't... hmm, at least not the key factor. So what we must strictly avoid are: first, lifting their heads; second, getting bound by the threads; and third, suffering defeat either mentally or physically. The first one is straightforward, but addressing the second and third points will likely be crucial during our next encounter."
The other two nodded in agreement.
A moment later, Raiden Mei rubbed her temples with a headache forming. "After this battle, they'll surely realize their own combat limitations and become more cautious going forward. We won't be able to track them down easily... Once again, we're at a disadvantage, operating under their watchful eyes. This complicates matters."
"Not necessarily—we don't need to actively search for them. It's clear now that their primary means to undermine civilization's foundations is by stealing our power. So, they will undoubtedly seek contact with us. Additionally, they cannot easily give up on the numerous Herrscher Cores we've collected. In that case, wouldn't it be better to let them come to us?" Wendy, as the team leader, proposed their strategic direction.
Kiana pondered her suggestion before hesitantly asking, "Are you suggesting...we voluntarily leave the heavily guarded Headquarters, giving them an opportunity to approach? Like Bait Strategy 2.0 Plus?"
Wendy shook her head. "Such a trap would be too obvious; they won't fall for it. Even if some appeared, it'd likely just be insignificant individuals, not enough to capture all at once."
"Then what should we do?"
Impatient and quick-tempered as ever, Kiana abandoned her own thoughts and eagerly sought to uncover Wendy's well-thought-out plan.
Wendy flicked aside her short hair—now grown back quite a bit, with its dark exterior framing inner streaks of green—and calmly replied, "We should force their hand, making them bet everything on one desperate gamble. We ought to give them opportunities to isolate us themselves."
"Ooh! That sounds fantastic! Keep going!" Kiana's eyes sparkled as she looked at Wendy.
Raiden Mei listened attentively, awaiting the youngest captain's impressive strategy.
"Well, aren't we currently preparing to dismantle existing global political powers and establish a unified nation? Isn't this an opportunity ripe for inciting large-scale rebellion? And wouldn't such a united empire exert immense pressure on our adversaries?"
The answer was undoubtedly affirmative.
Overthrowing hundreds of nations worldwide would naturally face significant resistance. Given the Herrscher of a Thousand People's past modus operandi, it would be surprising if they didn't seize the chance to sow chaos.
Simultaneously, once the unified nation is established, opposition forces will essentially be purged, allowing Anti-Entropy and Schicksal's influence to extend across the globe. For the Herrscher of a Thousand People, their room to maneuver would undeniably shrink drastically. Preventing the establishment of this new state becomes crucial for their very survival.
Could the Herrscher of a Thousand People prevent unification from occurring?
Absolutely! But only if she could assemble a force capable of directly confronting Anti-Entropy's mechanical army, the Valkyrie Corps, and the top monsters from both organizations combined—had that been possible, there would have been no need for hiding or resorting to underhanded schemes.
The Herrscher of a Thousand People couldn't achieve this feat, nor could anyone else stand against the determined alliance between Anti-Entropy and Schicksal. Unification was inevitable.
Thus, the Herrscher of a Thousand People had but one choice left: delay unification by any means necessary while using the buffer time to seize enough power, growing strong enough to survive under the might of the unified empire.
Kiana and Raiden Mei pondered these points, nodding frequently.
Wendy smiled slightly and continued, "I don't know how they'll incite chaos or what tactics they'll employ to get close to us, but those details aren't crucial. What matters is that they will undoubtedly come seeking us out. All we need to do is spread word about our intentions and wait."
"Wait! Objection!" Kiana raised her hand.
Wendy rolled her eyes but acknowledged her.
"Yes?"
"This plan could easily lead to unnecessary casualties! Besides, the Herrscher of a Thousand People isn't that crucial; establishing our nation is the true long-term goal. If trying to deal with the Herrscher causes setbacks for Uncle Welt's plans, wouldn't it be focusing on trivial matters instead of addressing the core issue?"
"...Honestly, you're not supposed to be this clever, Big Sister Kiana!"
"You wanna pick a fight?!" Kiana pretended to roll up her sleeves, although they were already short. Her slender, porcelain-like arms were instantly exposed, conveying both her intent and emotions clearly.
Wendy spread her hands, smiling helplessly.
"So, just remember, this is only a preliminary proposal. We'll need to discuss it further with the Alliance Leaders to determine its feasibility. Let's call it a day today. Tomorrow, I'll meet with Welt, and we can finalize arrangements afterward. Dismissed!"
A wide, dark blue beret appeared in Wendy's hand—the one Zeke had knitted for her. She gently placed it atop her head and left the conference room with a smile.
Kiana stuck out her tongue at Wendy's departing figure. "Pfffft! Cocky little brat!"
"Kiana, don't be like that. Wendy truly is remarkable—both in strength and intellect..." Raiden Mei smiled warmly as she patted the disgruntled Kiana's head to soothe her ruffled feathers. "Although we're older than her, there's still much we can learn from her."
Puffing out her cheeks like an adorable little squirrel, Kiana huffed before relenting: "Fine, I get it. She's a genius; Zeke always says so... Ugh, he never praises me like that!"
"Well, Z-Zeke does have a unique perspective..."
"Mei, your voice is trembling. Are you really that scared of Zeke?"
"No! Absolutely not... Eek! Why do you have his photo?! Wait, why are you showing it now?!?"
"Heh-heh! Zeke said whenever there's a chance, help you overcome your phobia! Don't worry, it's just a picture. Besides, look how handsome Zeke is—what's there to fear? Come on, let's get up close with him!"
"S-stay back...ahhh!"
The shrill screams echoed through the halls, piercing even beyond the walls.
Yet today, Anti-Entropy remained peaceful and tranquil, undisturbed by any chaos.