Huh?
Fu Hua froze. That voice... who was it?
Why did it feel so familiar, and yet so... sorrowful?
She felt as if... she had forgotten something very important.
[This session of questions and answers has concluded. The next round will be held in five days.]
With a familiar flash of white light, the group was transported out of the Q&A space.
"Phew, this session was pretty short," Himeko said, grabbing a beer from the table and taking a refreshing swig.
"But the gains were immense," Bronya stated.
"That's right." Theresa nodded, then looked at Fu Hua. "Fu Hua, I'll leave things with Grandfather for you to handle."
"Mm." Fu Hua nodded, her mind clearly elsewhere.
"By the way, Principal, I just remembered something very important," Raiden Mei suddenly spoke up.
"Oh? Mei, what did you remember?" Hearing this, everyone looked at Raiden Mei curiously.
"I just recalled that in the 'Backstabbing the Class Monitor' scene, Overseer Otto said that a human possessing a Herrscher's power had already been proven by the Third and Fourth Herrschers."
"At the time, our attention was so focused on Kiana that we didn't pay much mind to that detail. But thinking back on it now, who is this Fourth Herrscher?"
With Raiden Mei's reminder, the others all recalled that point as well.
That's right, when did a Fourth Herrscher appear?
"Mei is right. This information is critical. It means that the Fourth Herrscher had already appeared before Grandfather executed his plan," Theresa said with a frown. "However, I haven't received any news about a Fourth Herrscher yet, so perhaps she will not appear for some time."
"Theresa, we need to heighten our security. We must receive news the moment the Fourth Herrscher appears," Himeko said.
"Mm." Theresa nodded. "You're right. But our main objective right now is still the development of St. Freya. Only when we ourselves are strong will we have the power to truly change the future."
After some further discussion, the group dispersed.
---o---
Ten minutes later, Fu Hua was walking along a garden path. Her expression was somewhat lost. So many things had happened today that even she couldn't help but feel a bit dazed and helpless.
Before today, she had never imagined that the human heart could be so complex and dark.
Her previous impression of Otto, while not particularly good, wasn't terrible either.
She had believed that although Otto had his flaws, he was genuinely working hard to fight the Honkai, which was why she had been willing to work for him.
But now, it was clear that the man had gone completely mad.
His goal was definitely not to fight the Honkai. Or rather, fighting the Honkai was merely something he did in passing to achieve his true objective.
Having seen the man's true face, Fu Hua had no doubt that if joining the Honkai's side would help him achieve his goal, Otto would choose that path without a moment's hesitation.
He was an extremely dangerous person. In some respects, not even the Mebius of the past was as dangerous as him.
But what could she do now?
Her body had been left broken and battered by the incident five hundred years ago, and her power had been constantly declining ever since.
Her sword-heart was shattered, to the point where she needed to burn Fenghuang Down just to unleash the Edge of Taixuan. And in her current state, how many more times could she do that?
Lost in thought, Fu Hua wandered aimlessly. Her heart was in turmoil.
Just then, a familiar voice called out from behind her.
"Class Monitor, so this is where you were."
Fu Hua instinctively turned towards the voice and saw a familiar white figure running towards her.
"Class Monitor, I had a hard time finding you."
"Student Kiana..."
"Class Monitor, what's wrong? Why do you look so upset?" Kiana asked with concern as she approached.
"I... do I look upset?" Fu Hua touched her face. She didn't even know what kind of expression she was wearing.
"Mhm. Class Monitor, are you thinking about Overseer Otto backstabbing you?"
Kiana wasn't stupid; she quickly guessed the reason for Fu Hua's low spirits.
"..." Fu Hua pressed her lips together, not knowing what to say.
"Class Monitor, don't think too much about it! It's all stuff that will happen in the future anyway. We're all still fine right now, aren't we?" Kiana said with a smile, patting Fu Hua's shoulder comfortingly.
"I just... find it all so pathetic."
Fu Hua sighed and looked up at the sky, her eyes seemingly recalling the past.
"Perhaps my luck truly is terrible. From the very beginning, I have experienced nothing but failure and betrayal."
"I should have died long ago, but I survived. Because fighting the Honkai is my mission. Yet my failures have rarely been because of the Honkai. More often than not, they have come from humanity."
"Kiana... I'm now starting to wonder... can humanity truly defeat the Honkai?"
Fighting the Honkai was the sole motivation that had sustained Fu Hua all this time.
But countless betrayals and failures had pushed her to the edge of a cliff, and Otto's backstabbing was the final straw that broke her.
She was no longer the powerful Immortal Celestial of the past. She was just Fu Hua, a person who couldn't change anything.
"...Class Monitor, humanity can definitely defeat the Honkai."
Kiana looked at the lost expression on Fu Hua's face. It was the first time she had ever seen her like this.
She took a deep breath, took Fu Hua's hand, and transferred the warmth of her own palm to her.
"Teacher Himeko said that even if we can't do it now, as long as we don't give up, as long as we pass this spirit down from generation to generation, humanity will one day defeat the Honkai! Even if our own ending isn't a happy one, we will have lived a life with no regrets, open and true to ourselves."
"Class Monitor, I don't know what you've been through in the past, but I promise you, I will never betray you!"
"People can be good or evil, and the world holds both beauty and pain. Like two sides of a coin, they are the inseparable light and shadow. The only difference is which side you choose to see."
"Class Monitor, surely you've also received kindness and blessings from others in your life, right?"
"..."
Fu Hua stared blankly at Kiana, as if she were seeing this girl for the first time.
She suddenly began to understand why her future self had chosen to protect her.
That's right. Not all humans were like the ones who betrayed me.
There are selfish people, but there are selfless people too.
There are people filled with malice, but there are also beautiful and kind people.
The world has never been a kind place, but... there are people like Kiana, who strive to make it so.
Perhaps... she could try to believe, just one more time.