"Mm, I promise you," Himeko chuckled softly.
"Kiana, we won't leave you either," Raiden Mei said, her heart aching as she hugged Kiana, her words coming from the soul.
"You silly niece, don't overthink things so much, and don't feel like you have to bear all the responsibility on your own." Theresa rapped Kiana's head lightly, exasperated. "No matter what happens in the future, we adults are here. If the sky falls, the tall ones will be here to hold it up. You little ones shouldn't worry so much."
"Kiana, we will all be with you. Whatever difficulties the future holds, we will face them together," Fu Hua added.
"Oh my, you blockhead. You're getting better and better with words these days," Little Xuan couldn't help but sigh wistfully. She thought back to the old days, when she and her master had put in so much effort but failed to change Chiyuan much. Yet now, she wakes up from a long sleep, and it's like Chiyuan is a completely different person.
Of course, this change was for the better.
"...Thank you, everyone. I will definitely defeat the Herrscher consciousness!"
After letting it all out, Kiana's emotions had more or less stabilized. Although a sense of sorrow still lingered, that sorrow would become her driving force, pushing her to change the future, even if she had to risk her own life!
---o---
[Question 18: Please state which of the following lines is known as the "Power-up Password," or alternatively, the "Herrscher Password"?]
[A: I can't do anything.]
[B: I can do anything.]
[C: I want to become light.]
[D: To fight for all that is beautiful in the world.]
---o---
Once everyone's emotions had settled, the Q&A space presented its next question.
However, this question left everyone dumbfounded once again.
"What the... Why is it another one of these weird questions?" Tesla couldn't help but complain. "What's a 'Power-up Password'? And what's a 'Herrscher Password'? How could there possibly be a password that works just by saying a line?!"
"This is unscientific!"
"No, Dr. Tesla, this is quite scientific." Einstein held up a single finger. "After all, we still haven't figured out the origin of this Q&A space, have we? So, couldn't its composition and appearance be a form of 'science' that we are currently unable to comprehend?"
"Therefore, although the questions it asks are strange, they are still scientific, because it will not ask an incorrect question."
"Mei, do you know what this Herrscher Password is?" Kiana asked Raiden Mei curiously. After all, the only one among them who had actually become a Herrscher was Mei. She and Bronya hadn't reached that point yet.
"I have no idea. How could there be some kind of password?" Raiden Mei shook her head with a wry smile, indicating that she was also in the dark.
"Hmm... The Q&A space wouldn't ask a completely nonsensical question. This means that those of you who will become Herrschers must have all said the same thing," Theresa analyzed, stroking her chin. "Of course, it's also possible you haven't said it yet, but will say it at some point in the future."
"Wait a minute... Could this be the pattern for Herrscher awakenings?"
"That... seems unlikely, doesn't it?" Fu Hua shook her head, finding it hard to believe. "How could the appearance of a Herrscher be triggered by a single sentence? It's probably just a coincidence."
"But if that's the case, the phrase they all said must be a relatively common one, otherwise it's unlikely they would have all happened to say it."
"That makes sense." Himeko nodded, agreeing with the assessment. To have the selection of a Herrscher be determined by a single phrase... that was simply too absurd. Even a writer with a ten-year brain clot couldn't come up with a plot like that.
"So which phrase could it be?" everyone wondered.
"Hmm... This question cannot be analyzed. We can only guess," Einstein said with a shrug, admitting she was stumped. For a question like this, which seemed to have been asked for fun and lacked any logical basis, even she couldn't figure out the answer, no matter how intelligent she was.
"Should we follow the old rule and vote?" Theresa inquired.
"Yes, let's just vote."
No one had any objections, so they quickly completed the vote. The final result showed that the fourth option had received the most votes.
"Can I be the one to answer this question? I want to experience the magic of this space too!" Little Xuan raised her hand excitedly. She had been watching from the sidelines for a long time and couldn't resist the urge to participate. The worst that could happen was losing a year of life, and what was that to her?
"This... I'm not sure that's a good idea," Theresa said with some hesitation.
"It's alright, Principal. Let her answer. Otherwise, she'll throw a tantrum with me for quite a while when we get back," Fu Hua said with a doting smile, glancing at Little Xuan.
"Hehe, you know me best, Chiyuan." Little Xuan happily flew over to Fu Hua and affectionately nuzzled her cheek. Then, mimicking how Himeko had answered before, she shouted to the Q&A space, "I choose D!"
[Answer... Incorrect. The correct answer is: A. I can't do anything.]
As the cold, mechanical voice of the Q&A space sounded, the cheerful Little Xuan suddenly seemed to power down, dropping straight out of the air. If Fu Hua hadn't been quick to catch her, her little face would have hit the floor.
"Little Xuan, are you alright?" Fu Hua asked with a concerned frown.
"I-I'm fine. So this is what it feels like to have your lifespan drained..." Little Xuan shook her head. The feeling of weakness quickly dissipated, and she started flying again. After carefully sensing the changes within her body, she reported, "It feels like my power level suddenly dropped a little. It must have been drained by this Q&A space."
"So your power level counts as your lifespan?" Kiana asked, surprised.
"It's likely different for everyone. After all, Little Xuan is an armed doll. The energy that keeps her active is her electrical power," Fu Hua explained.
"Eh? Does that mean I can answer for you guys from now on?" Little Xuan's eyes lit up, and she said with a grin, "My standby time is still several thousand years long. Even if I get an answer wrong, it'll just deduct a tiny, insignificant amount of my time."
"No."
The words had barely left Little Xuan's mouth before Theresa firmly rejected the idea.
"Why not?" Little Xuan looked at her, confused.
"You are Fu Hua's companion and our friend. If we let you bear the punishment for every wrong answer, how would that make you any different from an answer-providing tool?"
Theresa's stance was resolute. Even if the penalty from the Q&A space was insignificant to Little Xuan, Theresa would never do such a thing.
And this was the biggest difference between her and Otto.