"That's exactly what mastering a Herrscher's Authority entails. It's not just an iterative process of improving proficiency; more importantly, it requires a shift in how you perceive the power itself.
"In the beginning, I only treated this power as a tool to be used. Because of that, my utilization of it fell drastically short. Even as my proficiency increased, my output efficiency was far below that of a standard Herrscher.
"Later on, I truly accepted the Authority as a part of myself. I allowed it to become the foundation that guided my path and my actions. Only then could I truly be considered a complete Herrscher."
Joachim frowned slightly. "Allowing a Herrscher's Authority to guide your actions... That doesn't sound like a wise choice."
"Of course it's not. How could it be?" Shu nodded with a smile. There was no lament in his tone, only a quiet acceptance.
"The reason Herrschers... are called Herrschers, rather than just 'people with immense power,' is precisely because the moment they acquire their power, they are dragged forward by it.
"Immense power warps their perception of reality. That in itself isn't necessarily a problem—since you hold power in your hands, you should use it to accomplish something. But at that stage, you are still just a person wielding a weapon.
"However, when that power becomes too absolute... when it is strong enough to alter practically anything you encounter... the power reverses the dynamic and attempts to control the host.
"No matter what obstacle you face, your first instinct becomes using your power to force the world into the shape you desire. Gradually, your own whims and preferences occupy a larger and larger percentage of your thought process.
"In the end, the person is entirely swallowed by the power, transforming into a completely egocentric being who looks down on everything and turns a blind eye to the reality of the world."
"..." Joachim took a deep breath. "With all due respect... wouldn't that be beneficial for the individual?
"If someone possesses a resolute worldview and an unwavering goal, obtaining such power shouldn't be a bad thing for them, right?"
"Obtaining power is never inherently a bad thing," Shu agreed, nodding. "But as you just said, the prerequisite for handling that power is that the person possesses a resolute worldview and an unwavering goal...
"And in this world... how many people do you think actually fit that description?"
Shu asked the question with a gentle smile, as if he had long since reached the conclusion himself. Joachim fell silent.
How many people in this world fit that description?
A resolute worldview, paired with an unwavering goal.
It sounded like such a simple set of conditions. Everyone had a worldview, didn't they? And as long as you had a little ambition, you had a goal.
But were that worldview and that goal truly resolute?
That was the fatal flaw.
When you suddenly realize that the power you've obtained can effortlessly solve problems you once thought impossible—or conversely, when you discover that despite your godlike power, you are utterly helpless to change something you believed you could—your worldview shatters.
The consequences of the power exceed your comprehension, and before you know it, it begins to steer you down a path you never intended to walk.
As for goals... that went without saying.
How many people could honestly guarantee that they possessed a pure, incorruptible heart?
And... perhaps the things Otto had told him before weren't entirely fabricated. Perhaps there really was a period of time where Shu had lost himself to his own power.
Given what he had just explained, falling into extreme anxiety and depression because he felt too "weak"—because the things he could accomplish fell far short of his expectations—made perfect sense.
So what about now? Had Shu finally figured things out?
"Uncle Yang!" Down in the arena, Kiana had already put Bianka down. She stood with her hands on her hips, flashing a radiant smile at Shu and Joachim in the stands as she held up a single finger.
"Again!" she called out, her laughter devoid of any provocation. "That was way too easy!"
Joachim glanced at Shu, who simply nodded in response.
"Alright then. I'll crank it up to maximum difficulty. Are you girls ready?"
Kiana smashed her fists together with a heavy thud. "Of course! Bring it on! We'll show you what we're really made of!"
Kiana was brimming with confidence, and the rest of the squad—Bronya, Mei, and the others—stood proudly beside her, sharing that exact same conviction.
It was just like Kiana always said: As long as Mei is by my side, I have the strength of a hundred people!
And wasn't that true for all of them?
As long as their companions were with them, they could draw out a hundred times their normal strength. Seeing their overflowing motivation made Joachim's own spirits lift.
He turned to look at Shu. Shu remained exactly as he was, an aura of quiet confidence deeply ingrained in him as he gazed down serenely at the girls waving up at him.
Perhaps... this is the true source of his confidence.
Infected by that unshakeable belief, the corners of Joachim's mouth ticked upward, feeling a surge of hot blood pumping through his veins.
Driven by that sudden rush of excitement, Joachim decisively typed out a command on his laptop, cranking the arena's simulation parameters to the absolute maximum.
The entire facility began to tremble slightly as the difficulty spiked.
This time, it wasn't just Bianka and Kiana who noticed. Even the Arc City Bunny Squad, who had practically spent the entire last round slacking off, felt the metallic floor beneath their feet warp and shift.
A big one is coming!
That was the universal consensus among the girls, but not a single one of them felt fear.
Finally, under everyone's watchful eyes, an astronomical amount of nanomachines began rising from the floor. Simultaneously, an equally massive swarm poured down from the ceiling.
Like stalactites and stalagmites meeting in a cavern, the two torrents converged in the center of the arena, rapidly fusing into a gigantic, levitating metallic sphere.
It honestly looked like the grand entrance cinematic for an ultimate final boss—where the blood of the earth itself flows upward to condense into a beating, monolithic heart in the sky.
It was hard not to believe that Joachim had specifically designed this dramatic sequence.
So, the next scene should be the Demon Lord tearing their way out of the heart, right?
What kind of monstrosity was going to emerge from that rapidly shrinking metal sphere?
The hyper-compressing orb finally seemed to reach its absolute limit. By now, it had shrunken down to a mere tenth of its original, massive size.
It began to vibrate violently, the frequency escalating until it became a blur of afterimages to the naked eye.
The next second, accompanied by an ear-piercing shriek of grinding metal, a shockwave exploded outward from the epicenter, forcing everyone to raise their arms and shield their eyes.
As the storm of displaced air settled, the girls immediately snapped their gazes toward the figure standing where the metallic sphere had been.
It was an intimately familiar figure.
"What?!"
"How is that possible?!"
"Are you kidding me?!"
A chorus of shocked exclamations rang out across the arena. Disbelief and absolute dumbfoundment painted everyone's faces.
Up in the spectator stands, Shu stared down at the figure, his own expression completely blank.
"Are you serious?" he couldn't help but ask.