Before Noldrei arrived, Herrscher battles were essentially about continuously ramping up Honkai Energy, then either engaging in close-quarters combat or just throwing black holes and rocks around.
It was a relatively simple and straightforward way of fighting, and many had grown accustomed to it.
For instance, the Herrscher of the Void's Imaginary abilities were truly just spatial abilities in the hands of the original Herrscher of the Void.
But in Sirin's hands now, the Herrscher of the Void's abilities were a spectacular display of light and sound. All sorts of strange phenomena were layered together, creating a bizarre, large-scale, and incomprehensible attack.
In Durandal's view, the hardest part of fighting under such abilities wasn't attacking and hitting someone, but finding where that person was.
"How did Otto get Herrscher powers?"
The conclusion that the Will of the Honkai would actively seek out those who hated humanity and were in great pain to be the hosts of Herrscher Cores seemed a bit ridiculous to Durandal.
To say Otto hated or despised humanity might have some truth to it, but to say he was in great pain... Durandal had something to say about that.
"If even you, Lady Durandal, don't know, how could I possibly know?"
Rita felt that this question didn't require much consideration. If Otto really wanted to do something to humanity, then he would definitely have the opportunity to do it.
"I think we should consider where one can be free from the Will of the Honkai's surveillance."
Rita's question was one that everyone was asking.
Welt Yang wasn't sure when Otto had communicated with Noldrei, but he was certain that to deceive the Honkai, the first thing one had to do was escape its surveillance.
But Tesla already knew the answer.
"This battle wasn't started by me, but by Otto himself. After he understood the nature of the Imaginary Space, he had already decided to do this. I just happened to reach the same conclusion as Otto."
Noldrei had indeed contacted Otto, but Otto's suggestion at the time was different from what he wanted.
"Tesla, you'd never guess who the most conservative person in the world is. That man, Otto Apocalypse, has been forever stuck in the moment he first met Kallen. All his radical methods are just to preserve the self he was when he first met her."
"In the dialectical movement, radicalism is the moat of conservatism, and conservatism is the reserve army of radicalism."
"He made a deal with me. Otto sold out the Void Archives and the soon-to-be-born parallel world."
"So, I will find a way to open a path for him to the Imaginary Space."
Noldrei's words made Tesla uneasy. This was because the area cordoned off by the SELENE Engines could no longer contain Otto's power.
The Herrscher of Binding. Within the scope of its authority, everything was under its control.
Tesla knew that with her current abilities, she had no way of withstanding an attack of that magnitude. But to give up on this final struggle against the Honkai Herrscher... she clearly expressed her unwillingness.
"Why? Why did it have to be Otto?"
"Because of the Honkai. The Honkai is not a normal form of energy. Or rather... the one characteristic it lacks most is the conservation of energy. Under the control of Honkai Energy, the final outcome is that energy consumption is not calculated by energy conversion, but by Honkai Energy as a medium of measurement."
Noldrei had never believed that the Honkai was a normal form of energy, just as Stigmata could only control Honkai Energy by intercepting the power of the Imaginary Space.
"But Honkai Energy can be measured, just as the power of the Honkai itself has its limits. It's like a non-renewable energy source. Honkai Energy that has surpassed the shackles of the Imaginary Space cannot be reproduced."
"So, my job is to find a way to make the Honkai reproducible."
Noldrei's words sent a shiver down Tesla's spine. She suddenly realized what he was trying to do.
"You want to open a path to a parallel world and use Honkai Energy to build a stable channel between the two worlds? Are you insane? How is that even possible?"
Tesla thought this idea was too bold. Simply traveling through dimensions was one thing, but connecting to a new world was a terrifying thought. How much energy would be needed to maintain this channel for transporting Honkai?
"No, no, no, not to open a path to a parallel world! You've misunderstood. The plan Otto gave me was his desire to reverse time, to use the power of Honkai Energy to create a branch of the Imaginary Tree, and thus create a branch of a new world."
Noldrei's explanation was worse than no explanation at all. It was even more terrifying than connecting to a parallel world.
"You knew exactly what he was trying to do, didn't you?!" Tesla was shocked. She thought the two of them were completely insane.
If it were true, as Noldrei said, that Otto was the most conservative person in the world, then what did that make Noldrei, this "conservative" who had been suppressing his own radical tendencies? Was this a mutual emotional connection between the two of them?
"Yes. So he sold that new world to me."
"..."
Tesla was rendered speechless. It took her a long time to understand what Noldrei meant by "sold out."
"Connect to a new world through the Honkai, create a branch of a parallel world, then plunder the Honkai Energy of the next parallel world to continue creating the next branch. In this way, it's a self-sustaining cycle of recycling. Every world will be a new world. This is what Otto is doing for me right now."
"But this requires the power of the Herrscher of the Void. The Herrscher of the Void is the only Herrscher who can directly reach the Imaginary Space, and also the only Herrscher who can bypass the Honkai as an Imaginary medium to directly touch the Imaginary Tree."
Tesla understood Noldrei's true plan. In other words...
She was silent for a moment before asking, "Are you saying you need more substitutes for the world?"
Noldrei explained further, "It's hard for us to find an identical parallel world. But if we can draw directly from the Imaginary Tree, it means all our energy and resource problems will be completely solved. Humanity will gain a future with an inexhaustible supply."
"No, wait, something's not right!" Tesla felt that things couldn't be that simple. Would the Honkai just listen to Noldrei like that?
"I know what you're asking, Tesla. Because this is also what the Will of the Honkai wants. It believes that to break through the blockade I've placed on its life-descending ability, there is only one way!"
"And that is to go to a parallel world and create new Herrschers, to seize the ecological niche of the new world's Herrschers before I get there."
"And this is what Otto sold to me. He needs to restart time to revive Kallen, and I need to inherit the security of the new world. So, he sold the Void Archives to the Honkai, and sold the new world he created to me."
"This is my judgment upon him, and his compensation to the people of this world who have suffered under Schicksal. This compensation includes his own life."