199. She's Not Our Daughter
"You want to build your own city."
In the strange space of Company A, the leader looked at his guide.
"Yes!" Houraiji Kyuushou nodded vigorously, her crimson eyes flashing with unwavering determination.
"I want to build a sanctuary for humanity in my world. For this, I'd like to hear your opinion."
The leader's fingers tapped silently on the smooth tabletop.
"...My understanding of your world is limited. Tell me, what kind of city do you envision? What will it defend against?"
Kyuushou began to recount the story of Honkai in her world.
"In my world, there exists a calamity called Honkai."
"It is the enemy of civilization, the enemy of humanity. It is a natural disaster; it is omnipresent, scattered throughout our world."
"And I want to build a city, a city that can protect humanity from the effects of Honkai."
"..." The leader's fingers stopped tapping.
"The construction of a city is not something that can be done in a matter of a day. Behind the grand blueprint lies a more realistic challenge."
"How do you plan to announce The City's existence to the world?"
"And what strategies do you plan to use to gain the trust of those residents, shrouded in the shadow of Honkai and filled with suspicion, to trust you and this city?"
Mentioning specific plans, Houraiji Kyuushou's eyes instantly hardened.
"In the city where I live, Nagazora, a massive Honkai Impact is about to descend—the Third Herrscher will be born there!"
"I will save everyone and establish a city in Nagazora. I will defeat the Herrscher and proclaim my existence to the entire world at that time."
Since she already knew what she would experience. She wouldn't sit idly by. Now she possessed the power to change everything; it was time to act.
The voice of the "Agent" leader carried a barely perceptible sigh:
"You harbor burning ideals, but perhaps you underestimate the complexity of the human heart. Without being truly torn apart by despair, without experiencing the suffocating feeling of civilization's collapse together, it's difficult for humanity to unite into a cohesive whole." He gazed at Kyuushou, as if seeing through the naiveté behind her conviction.
"If you save everyone before disaster strikes… they might be shocked, terrified, or fanatically worshipful of your power… but that's merely admiration for the strong, not solidarity born of shared hardship and mutual reliance."
He paused, letting the weight of his words settle:
"Even if you share a common, clear enemy—the Honkai—the outcome will be the same." The leader's tone was calm yet insightful.
"I've seen too many fickle hearts. Since you seek answers from me, I have a responsibility to reveal the thorns on this path to your ideals."
"A soul saved from the abyss of despair is far more likely to embrace the unity you seek than one sheltered in a greenhouse before the storm arrives. Reality is often like that."
He looked at the resistance flashing in Kyuushou's eyes.
"Words may paint a beautiful vision, but only the light of hope ignited in boundless despair can truly reshape hearts and minds, making them willingly follow the order you establish."
"I know..." Kyuushou clenched her fist, meeting the leader's gaze without flinching, "But—that would kill many people! Many innocent people! I cannot, and will never, sit idly by and wait for such a tragedy to occur in pursuit of so-called more efficient unity! That's not salvation, that's cold calculation!"
"..."
The leader silently stared at the pure stubbornness in her eyes. After a moment, he slowly said, "Then, the path you have chosen will be fraught with thorns. You will need to exert ten times, a hundred times, the effort, and spend a long time earning their trust, respect, and loyalty. You will need continuous dedication, fair governance, and impeccable protection to prove your city is trustworthy. However…" He shook his head slightly, "Loyalty built in this way may be fragile. The rewards may be meager, even… You must be prepared to face betrayal. The darker side of human nature, such as suspicion, greed, and jealousy, can erupt at any time under pressure."
"If betrayal occurs…" Kyuushou's lips suddenly curled into a bright smile, "Then it must be because I, as their savior, haven't done a good enough job! I haven't been able to provide them with enough security and a sense of belonging in The City!"
Houraiji Kyuushou put her hands on her hips, "Of course, if I really do encounter it, I'll definitely still secretly complain a little! After all, I'm only human!"
"…I respect your choice." The leader handed over a book.
"Here," he handed the book to Kyuushou.
"This contains everything you need to know to build and maintain a city."
Kyuushou looked at the book, thicker than her forearm, and subconsciously swallowed.
"This…is it really this thick?"
"I've already removed some content in it, so this is already quite light," the leader said calmly.
"When the city truly stands in your world," the leader's gaze fell on Kyuushou, "you will not only be the builder. You will be the city's leader, its heart and brain, so… This is merely the beginning."
Kyuushou took a deep breath and accepted the book.
"Thank you."
"You're welcome."
Back home, Kyuushou didn't immediately start reading. Instead, she placed it on the table; it was already evening in her world.
And there were some things she needed to do.
Stepping out of her house, Kyuushou looked up at the sky. In the sky, there was a protective barrier visible only to her. This barrier, created by her singularity technology, allowed her to control everything within its confines easily.
"The final stage…" A smile, a mixture of anticipation and trepidation, played on Kyuushou's lips.
"Let's push harder tonight, and finish it!"
Her figure vanished into the night, disappearing instantly.
The concentration of Honkai energy permeating Nagazora City was quietly rising. She wouldn't stop this inevitable arrival—forcibly suppressing the source here would only cause it to relocate to a more uncontrollable and devastating place. Rather than passively waiting, she would let it descend upon her own battlefield, under her control.
And she was using this final window of opportunity to build the strongest barrier against the impending storm. Every minute, every second was crucial.
--------
Inside the Imperial Palace.
Luo Tianyi blinked, bewildered, as if still not fully conscious.
She received some very exciting news today.
The news was so shocking that it caught her completely off guard.
"Tianyi, don't worry!"
A spirited, black-haired girl—Le Zhengling—firmly grasped Luo Tianyi's slightly cool hand, her eyes burning with determination, her tone resolute.
"As long as any one of us wins the martial arts champion selection, you won't have to worry about getting married!"
"That's true…"
Beside her, a composed young man with half-black, half-white hair—Le Zhengling's older brother, Le Zhenglongya—stroked his chin, a hint of realistic consideration in his eyes, "But, A-Ling, how easy is that?"
"Hey! Brother!" Le Zhengling glared at him, lowering her voice, "Can't you stop saying discouraging things at a time like this?" She looked at Luo Tianyi with concern.
Le Zhenglongya sighed helplessly, looking at the white-haired woman standing silently beside him:
"A-Ling, I'd like to guarantee it too. But the reality is, even Yan He, the strongest among us, can't say she's absolutely certain of winning."
Yan He nodded slightly, silently affirming Le Zhenglongya's assessment.
Seeing even Yan He, the most capable among her friends, say this, Le Zhengling immediately began to worry.
Just today, a decree from the King of Luo shocked the court and the public: to select the pillars of the nation, a grand martial arts competition would be held, and the glory of this champion not only meant high office and generous rewards, but also came with an astonishing favor—if the newly crowned champion agreed, he could marry the King of Luo's most beloved daughter, Princess Luo of the Luo Dynasty! This decree had already been proclaimed to the world.
This was precisely the root of Luo Tianyi's friends' current anxiety.
She was the princess thrust into the eye of the storm by that imperial decree.
Luo Tianyi snapped out of her daze upon hearing the news. Looking at her friends who were watching her with concern, she scratched the back of her head and gave a smile that was the same as usual.
"Don't worry, everyone. I... I should be able to handle this."
If it were about the martial-arts champion, Luo Tianyi was confident that her friends in the chat group could help her.
The reason she was stunned wasn't because of that, but because, since that day, she had always heard a faint voice in her ear, as if... something was calling to her?
Separated by the many palace walls, a different kind of heavy atmosphere permeated the imperial study.
"Your Majesty... must we really have to do this?" A woman dressed in magnificent palace attire, with a gentle demeanor—Queen Biyao, the wife of King Luo—her eyes brimming with tears of pleading, looked at the somber-faced King Luo behind his desk.
King Luo sighed deeply, setting down his vermilion brush and wearily rubbing his temples.
"Biyao, we both understand… she is ultimately not our flesh and blood."
"How can she not?!" Biyao's voice suddenly rose, filled with barely suppressed emotion as she retorted, "She is my daughter! She is Tianyi!!"
"Our Tianyi… is gone." King Luo's voice was low and hoarse.
"Biyao, wake up. Our daughter… died long ago deep within the dragon vein… right in our arms… breathed her last…"
He raised his head, his gaze fixed on his wife:
"The soul awakening in that body now, I don't know who she is or whether she came from… our Tianyi." He paused, his voice regaining a hint of imperial decisiveness, "So be it. Let her be welcomed to the moon as a princess, a life of luxury, and no one will mistreat her. We… will have done our duty to her for the companionship she has given you these past days."