"Why do you say that?" Theresa asked curiously.
"It is a matter of simple logic, my friend." Einstein held up a single finger and stated plainly, "If the battlefield were the Hyperion or St. Freya, then Himeko would certainly not have been the only casualty."
"Don't forget the situation at that time. Miss Mei's heart was injured and required emergency treatment. Lady Theresa, you were also heavily wounded and unconscious. Bronya had sustained considerable injuries and was exhausted, and Dr. Tesla and I have no combat capabilities."
"Under those circumstances, if the battle took place on the Hyperion or at St. Freya, given the Herrscher of the Void's power, even the shockwaves from the fight could have killed several of us."
Everyone listened to Einstein's analysis and felt it was entirely reasonable.
"In that case, only one answer remains."
"Imaginary Space."
Einstein nodded. "The Herrscher of the Void's power allows her to freely traverse Imaginary Space. It seems logical that it would serve as the stage for their final battle."
"Then, I'll answer." Himeko stepped forward and said decisively, "I choose D."
[Answer... Correct.]
[Congratulations, you have obtained Body Fortification Potion x10.]
[Body Fortification Potion: After consumption, provides a massive, side-effect-free enhancement to all physical attributes. Each person may only consume one dose; subsequent doses will have no effect.]
"So it really was Imaginary Space."
Seeing that Himeko had answered correctly, no one was particularly surprised. After all, the question had been relatively straightforward.
"Is this the Body Fortification Potion? It looks similar to the Mental Enhancement Potion from before."
Himeko looked at the small box that had appeared in her hands. Opening it, she found ten vials filled with a pale blue liquid.
"Lady Theresa, could you give four of these potions to us?" Einstein asked. "I want to see if we can analyze the components of this potion and then mass-produce it."
"I see... Alright, you can have them." Theresa thought for a moment and quickly agreed. They only had six people on their side anyway. They could keep six for their own use, and for the rest, they would see if Einstein could work her magic. If this could be mass-produced, even if the effect wasn't as potent, it would still provide a massive boost to St. Freya's overall strength.
After the potions were distributed, the Q&A space displayed the next scene from the future.
Everyone quickly fell silent. Although they knew this scene would likely be painful to watch, they couldn't look away. With complex emotions, they turned their eyes to the screen.
---o---
The scene was a familiar one: a lower-deck corridor on the Hyperion.
Himeko was leaning against the railing outside the medical bay. A steady stream of personnel carrying the wounded passed by her. She hadn't wanted to come here, but she couldn't refuse Bronya's request.
She knew there was nothing left to heal on her own body. The only reason she could even still move was due to the power of the battlesuit she wore.
She watched the medical staff pass by, subconsciously covering her own wound. But fresh blood still trickled through the gaps between her fingers.
"This time... we really made a mess of things, huh?" Himeko said with a bitter smile.
No one answered her. Only the faint glow of the serum vial in her hand illuminated her scar-covered face.
Suddenly, a piercing alarm blared, throwing the people in the corridor into a panic.
Himeko sighed, put away the serum, and began walking toward the exit of the corridor.
"Can't even get a moment's rest... Fine, I suppose it's time for some fresh air."
In Himeko's eyes, in that instant, it felt as though time had stopped.
"Even though they're all a bunch of kids who won't grow up, I've grown quite fond of this place... Good luck to you all."
All sorts of people passed by her. People wrapped in bandages, people supporting the injured, people carrying weapons.
People from the Hyperion, people from the Far East Branch, people from Anti-Entropy...
People Himeko had met, and people she hadn't—
People who remembered Himeko, and people who didn't...
One by one, they brushed past her.
Perhaps they knew, perhaps they didn't, that this warrior in her battlesuit was about to face the final battle of her life.
A battle between a teacher and her student.
"I'd really like... another drink."
A quiet sigh echoed amidst the alarms and the clamor, but it remained unanswered.
The crimson figure finally disappeared into the darkness of the corridor.
---o---
Watching this, the more sentimental people in the room, like Raiden Mei, were already shedding silent tears. No one knew what was going through Himeko's mind at that moment. But seeing her so utterly alone at a time like this, everyone from St. Freya felt as if a giant boulder was crushing their chests, making it almost impossible to breathe.
The overwhelming sense of solitude and despair pressed down heavily on everyone's heart.
"Himeko, I will not let this scene happen again," Theresa promised, her fists clenched tightly. She and Himeko had been friends for many years, and their bond was deep. Seeing her future self in such a tragic state was more than she could bear.
"Mm, I believe you, Theresa," Himeko nodded. To be honest, watching the video herself, she didn't feel much of anything. Perhaps it was because she believed her future self had done the right thing.
---o---
On the screen, Himeko had taken the Hyperion's elevator up to the outer deck.
A great blue dragon soared through the sky, letting out a series of roars. All of the Hyperion's cannons were trained on it, but it managed to dodge most of the fire. It then swooped low, tearing off a gun turret with its claws and hurling it directly at Himeko, who had just arrived on the deck.
"Hmph."
Seeing the cannon barrel flying toward her, Himeko gave a confident smile. She raised the Godfall Sword in her hands and, as if she were playing baseball, batted the turret right back at the dragon.
Benares didn't have time to dodge and took the heavy blow straight to the face.
Himeko then leaped high into the air, soaring above the dragon. With one merciless kick, she slammed Benares's massive body back down onto the deck.
But just as she raised her sword to deliver the final, fatal blow, a portal tore open in front of her, absorbing the full force of her strike.
An intense light flashed. When Himeko opened her eyes again, she found herself in the dead silence of Imaginary Space.
"Hehehehe..."
A familiar laugh echoed by her ear. Himeko's pupils contracted sharply. She quickly turned her head and saw, not far away, the Herrscher of the Void descending from the void step by step, as if walking on a set of invisible stairs.
"Did you think... you could escape?"