Making an android, infused with manufactured memories and emotions, believe that its actions are the result of its own thoughts is an incredibly difficult task. For Elysia, it was a first.
Mobius, on the other hand, was far more accustomed to it. She simply didn't care about the android's thoughts, nor did she ponder whether a being with implanted memories and emotions could be considered a true lifeform.
Gray Serpent was one such case. The android Cecilia was another.
So, when the android Cecilia suddenly heard that Otto and Sirin were about to meet face-to-face, she was completely stunned.
"No, why? Why let those two meet? Don't you know they're mortal enemies?"
She knew. Sirin harbored a deep hatred for the Valkyries and the Schicksal organization behind them. She especially loathed masterminds like Otto.
"Why so many questions?" Mobius explained. "It's actually very simple. The goal is to ensure the Herrscher descends according to a predetermined plan. Just as you don't put all your eggs in one basket, the Director won't pin all his hopes for the Herrscher's descent on the android network alone."
The android Cecilia gasped. "There are other ways to make a Herrscher descend?!"
"As long as you control the variables of life, a Herrscher's descent is actually limited to just a few possibilities."
Mobius recalled for a moment. "Take the Second Herrscher, for example. She acquired multiple Herrscher Cores. Or Welt Yang, who acquired a second core. This means a Herrscher can obtain the core of the next Herrscher. The descent itself doesn't have to be the first time."
"Theoretically, the Honkai could dispatch all the cores at once. But if the person designated to receive them lacks the capacity, it would create an uncontrollable mess."
Mobius sneered. "If it were me, I'd just find one qualified individual and bestow all the Honkai Cores upon them. Then they could potentially gain the power of Finality directly and end human civilization."
That wasn't what the android Cecilia wanted to know. "That's not what I'm asking," she pressed. "Why? Since this has nothing to do with the original Sirin anymore, why force the current Sirin to continue shouldering the Herrscher's fate?"
"Cecilia! Calm down. There's no such thing as fate in this world. There are only people who are suitable and those who are not. The moment she inherited Sirin's memories, it was already destined that she would be the most suitable vessel for a Herrscher's descent. That is a reality that cannot be changed."
Elysia kept fanning the flames. She knew exactly what to say to agitate this Cecilia and spur her into action.
Knowing the truth of Sirin's existence would only deepen her sympathy, activating her emotions and making her cling to all her past memories and feelings.
Right now, Mobius and Elysia were doing everything they could to push her to that point.
"You two..." The android Cecilia had thought they were decent people, but she couldn't accept their pragmatic attitude.
"Cecilia, you need to calm down. You are not Cecilia, nor are you the Valkyrie she once was. You should approach all the memories and emotions within you with a level head," Mobius advised gently. "We know what you're thinking, but we're not telling you these things to provoke you. We're just trying to get you to accept your destiny."
"How can I accept this?! I can accept that I'm an android, but... Sirin, that child, she's innocent! She was just cloned and then infused with the memories and will of the previous Herrscher. How can I accept that? How could anyone accept that?! She's not like me, she's a real person! Does no one care about her?! And you still want to use her as an experiment for the next Herrscher?!"
The android Cecilia simply couldn't accept such an outcome. She was just like the original Cecilia—knowing full well that Sirin might continue her rampage, she was unable to control her emotions and deal with the situation with cold, detached reason.
This was even more true for the android Cecilia now. The current Sirin shared her fate, and this empathetic connection transcended the barriers of time and distance.
"I have to see her!"
The android Cecilia made her decision. She would go to Sirin and stop her from becoming the vessel for a new Herrscher.
Elysia sighed. "Don't even think about it. What good would it do if you went? You aren't that Valkyrie, and you don't have her power. If you get caught in the crossfire, what can you do? As an android, all you can do is die."
"Don't you... don't you care at all?"
The android Cecilia was dismayed that even declaring her intentions had no effect.
She stared blankly at the scene before her, suddenly remembering the purpose of androids.
Substitutes. As substitutes for human emotional needs, androids were inherently replaceable.
Just like her. Even if she died and disappeared right now, another new, clueless, and worthless Cecilia would be created to take her place.
"I see... So this is the power of the new world that has triumphed over the Honkai? A ceaseless, reproducible supply of life, like countless replaceable tools. Is this the cold pride of a humanity that has mastered the power of genetic propagation?"
"Then what if... I go to Siberia now?"
The android Cecilia worried they would stop her. Just as Elysia had said, she wasn't the Valkyrie she used to be, and she certainly didn't possess that immense power.
"We won't stop you, just as we're talking to you now. We'll simply refuse to mention Sirin's name to the next Cecilia. I originally thought you could accept this reality."
Mobius was certainly good at playing the bad guy. Her words had the distinct flavor of a villain. In comparison, Elysia's "bad girl" act was more like a subtle pot-stirrer.
"I understand..." The android Cecilia gave a bitter smile, unsure why her heart was filled with such bitterness.
In that moment, she felt as if her heart had been hollowed out, her entire being floating weightlessly in a vacuum.
Perhaps it was only in that instant of intense emotion that the android Cecilia realized her own irreplaceable feelings.
"I'm sorry. I cannot accept this."
Cecilia left. In that moment, she refused to be Cecilia's android.
She left with Cecilia's memories and emotions, and from now on, she would walk her own path, alone.
"Haaaah..."
Elysia leaned back in her chair and exhaled a long breath. Her mind felt numb.
Mobius paid no mind to Elysia's feelings. Her face was expressionless as she said, "Let's continue preparing the next Cecilia Stigma will. There's a high probability she won't be coming back."