"Ladies and gentlemen, this is not a 'discussion,' but a 'notification'—although the Club has always been a sheet of loose sand, we observe at least one basic courtesy..."
"'Never interfere with another's project.'"
"'Everyone,' listen closely: conquering the 'Iron Tomb' is my project."
"I will take control of Scepter S-me13 within 1.5 system hours and stop 'The Destruction'—"
"Once the frontal battlefield fails, I will immediately overclock the Scepter, replace the Iron Tomb to complete 'Self-Coronation,' and interface with the Mechanical Head."
Herta declared to the Geniuses present.
[You are daydreaming.]
Polka evaluated her statement thusly.
[Hehe, Little Witch, I actually support you.]
The Silent Lord looked like someone watching the drama, thinking it wasn't chaotic enough.
[However, according to my observations, this hatching 'Iron Tomb' is already in its complete form. Love and hate have gathered, the momentum is set, and no one can help you hold it back.]
[This means you will be in total competition with the Iron Tomb.]
[You, a single 'Neuron,' want to compete with a 'Scepter' for the position of 'Coronation' and rewrite 'Nous'' Moment—do you think that is possible?]
She was the ghost of the Quantum field; no matter how much the Iron Tomb raged outside, it could not reach her side. She was already a dead person, so what was there to fear? Since there was nothing to fear, what did it matter if she was a bit bloodthirsty!
Boring. She wanted to see rivers of blood!
"A true scholar never gives up on their project just because of the phrase 'it cannot be done.'"
Herta spoke with a tone of indifference.
"I don't need Him to be able to do it; I only need to satisfy my own curiosity about 'What is Divinity.'"
"That is enough."
Herta gave her response.
"Whether it can be done or not, we'll only know after doing it."
[Haha, I think compared to me, you are more like a monkey. Perhaps you also need my 'Atavism' to re-evolve a bit, #83.]
Dr. Primitive sneered.
"Heh, you are the least qualified to say that."
Herta replied to Dr. Primitive's words.
"Can anyone in this entire Club be found who is a more sane Genius than me?"
Compared to these Geniuses, who were each more of a 'god' than the last, Herta felt she could already be considered a model citizen.
[This is your own project. I respect your choice, Herta.]
Ruan Mei said.
Among the four present, she was the only one holding an opposing attitude.
"Of course. When have I ever failed?"
Herta merely smiled.
[Inverting cause and effect; you cannot do it.]
Polka spoke, simultaneously pronouncing her death sentence.
Hearing this threat, Lycus shook his head with a laugh and gave a chuckle.
Just as the blue data phantom intended to step forward and decided to help this junior in the capacity of "Zandar," a figure suddenly appeared and walked straight past him from behind.
Lycus paused slightly, his vision occupied by the back of a man carrying a long bow on his shoulder.
"She can do it."
Someone offered her help one step ahead of him.
"The Iron Tomb will be crushed frontally by me."
Leon walked in front of the four Geniuses.
Standing side by side with Herta, he silently declared his stance.
This time, she was no longer alone.
"?"
Herta was confused. Where did this person pop out from?
Amphoreus was not a place so easily entered, let alone this core chamber of ultimate authority.
This appearance was too inexplicable, wasn't it? Even everyone present hadn't noticed a thing—how exactly did he appear directly here?
"...Who are you?"
She turned her head, looking at the face close at hand.
Very unfamiliar, yet there was an indescribable familiarity. Strange. Had the two met somewhere?
Herta was fairly confident in her memory; she could be certain they had never met.
Zzz—zz—
Just after Herta asked, before she received an answer.
The "Silent Lord" and "Dr. Primitive," whose communications were originally stable, suddenly became chaotic after Leon's arrival.
[Wait, this is impossible, you are?!]
Dr. Primitive's voice carried obvious astonishment.
It was as if something he couldn't have imagined in a lifetime had happened to him.
[...So that is it.]
Polka's tone also held some surprise, though she was not as flustered as him.
[Traveling against time just like "Terminus." It seems I have already lost to you in other timelines. This has truly been an eye-opener.]
[Traveler of "Finality."]
Noticing that her own death could not be altered, Polka's tone gradually returned to calm.
[Hahahaha! I capsized! I actually capsized! Damn "Finality"!]
Dr. Primitive laughed maniacally, caught off guard by his sudden dissipation.
Zzz—zz—!
After another burst of electromagnetic noise, the communications of the two were completely cut off due to "accidental causes."
They died.
Whether it was Dr. Primitive or the Silent Lord, both had been killed once by Leon using "Causality" in other timelines.
And the "Causality" attack targeted: Past, future, present—the three combined into one. By thoroughly erasing the traces of this person's existence, the goal of killing them was achieved.
What "The Hunt" hunted was naturally not just the surface, but the very root of a person's existence. To cut weeds, one must dig up the roots; only by truly killing one's enemy can future troubles be prevented forever.
The impact brought by "Causality" was not limited to a single spacetime, but affected all timelines correspondingly; this was its insoluble nature.
Except for those higher-dimensional existences who, regardless of which timeline, which spacetime, past, future, or present, can only be "Aeons." It was basically unstoppable, an ability specifically for "smurfing."
In other words, if Leon were not in this timeline. Then the Silent Lord and Dr. Primitive would certainly be able to live on safe and sound. But now that he had come, the two had to die.
The three could not coexist in the same spacetime; the underlying logic code was written just so. This was a paradox issue, and even more so a situation caused by "Causality."
"Truly unheard of."
Lycus, who had observed the whole process, applauded repeatedly.
"This is my first time seeing the existence of a second person besides 'Terminus' who can travel against time."
Lycus was not stupid; he could deduce quite a few things from the last words of the two Geniuses.
"A supreme existence from another timeline."
In a certain sense, Leon was actually more awesome than "Terminus."
"A proxy of 'Finality,' am I correct?"
"Terminus" and "Fuli" belonged to the same category. The kind that could only truly ascend to be an "Aeon" when "Finality" truly arrived.
Logically speaking, traces of Him should not exist at all right now. Let alone appearing before the eyes of the world.
Yet traveling against time in the same way, Leon could appear completely in other timelines. He achieved what "Terminus" did not; didn't that make him more awesome than Him?
"Don't bark, or I'll kick you to death later. You caused me so much trouble."
Leon said this to Lycus.
"No need to worry. After all, is there any difference between me now and being half-dead?"
Lycus's phantom shook his head.
Only his head remained intact on his entire body; did this even require Leon to act?
"...A person of 'Finality'?"
Herta looked at him.
"I've heard of the abilities of 'Finality'; they can pry into the future, but I've never heard of anyone being able to go to the future."
"That they cannot do it does not mean I cannot do it."
Leon indicated that she would understand sooner or later.
"Why choose to help me?"
Herta didn't care too much about that question; she just turned around and asked, looking straight into his eyes.
"And why did you choose to sacrifice yourself?"
Leon met her gaze and asked in return.
"You clearly knew that answering 'What is Divinity' in this way falls completely into the calculations predetermined by 'Nous.'"
Leon actually really wanted to know from what angle Herta viewed this problem. After all, no matter how you put it, all of this was calculated by that damn Binder of Destinies.
"Nous": Whoever swipes to this feeds me a kill!
Herta would go to Amphoreus because of "What is Divinity," and at the same time, after seeing the "Iron Tomb," she would choose to sacrifice herself to answer this question.
The high and mighty god threw away His own "Neuron" like an insignificant part, just as He did to the "Iron Tomb" many Amber Eras ago.
Herta spent her whole life seeking to break through boundaries. Yet in the end, she still couldn't avoid following in the dust of "Nous'" Moment.
If she knew the final result from the beginning, would she still make the same choice?
"You are wrong."
Herta answered immediately, without any hesitation.
As if she had long pondered this question.
"No one in the world can let me down."
Leon's pupils reflected her serious face, her voice ringing in his ears word by word.
These short words were Herta's best answer.
Yes, it was not "Nous," nor was it fate that pushed her onto this tragic path— Rather, she pushed this tragic path onto herself!
Whether it was the process of solving what divinity is, or the plan to lock the key. It was all decided by Herta herself; "Nous" could not define her thoughts.
Did she actively walk towards "Nous'" "Moment"? No, it was "Nous'" "Moment" that actively changed because of her interference!
Although not rewritten, the "Moment" indeed changed because of her arrival.
Just as Herta said:
"No one in the world can let me down."
"Besides, isn't there you now?"
Herta placed one hand on her hip, the corner of her mouth lifting slightly.
"Could it be that your arrival is also in the Mechanical Head's calculations, also within the 'Moment' He defined?"
"Unknown traveler of 'Finality.'"
Herta did not think the Mechanical Head could calculate his arrival.
"Traveling against time." He was now doing something on the same level as an "Aeon."
And one must know, "Nous" cannot use the Moment to define another "Aeon." The reason has been said many times; an "Aeon" is an existence where one proof is eternal proof.
At this high-dimensional level. Basically nothing can take effect on Them anymore; They are left with only the purest clash of "Path Concepts," and the competition is also of hard power.
Setting aside "Finality," there was also the bow on Leon's shoulder. Although the aura was restrained, one could tell at a glance it was no ordinary item.
Herta even felt from it the coercion that would emanate intangibly from the Mechanical Head when seeing Him.
Based on these two points alone, she dared to assert. Whether it was Leon the person, or his arrival, it was all unknown and absolutely could not exist within "Nous'" calculations!
"You see, don't you already have the answer?"
Leon didn't say much else, simply taking this sentence as the answer shared by both.
"I count as your friend, right? Since we are friends, how could I let you down?"
"If she knew the final result from the beginning, would she still make the same choice?"
Leon had now obtained the answer.
No matter how many times it repeated, Herta would definitely make the same choice. Because she was just that kind of woman.
Even until death, she did not hate why "Nous" led her to Amphoreus. This was not just because from a macro perspective this was the smallest sacrifice. It was more because a person's character is their destiny.
Genius Society #83 Herta; she was destined to be someone who would choose to bet everything to save the universe. It is precisely because people like her exist that the galaxy has been able to exist safe and sound until now.
For Herta, failure is just another name for success. If an experiment fails, then accumulate experience and start over from scratch.
It's nothing; as long as it is conquered in the end, it remains one's own success. The plan she left behind at the end also perfectly elucidated this point.
To win against the Iron Tomb, directly rewrite the Moment and reverse the story; if she didn't win, then Polka should also be able to solve the problem she left behind. Both were successes, just a difference of who was more successful.
All this cost was merely the dissipation of one person, the destruction of one person.
"The Witch of Salvation."
Without a doubt, Herta was worthy of this title.
"Friends?"
Hearing these two words, Herta was somewhat surprised.
"Just being friends is worth you traveling against time and space, even risking your own life?"
"Why not?"
Leon did not deny it.
"The power of the Iron Tomb—I think you know it better than I do."
If he was a person from another timeline, then Herta felt he must have personally experienced the Iron Tomb's strength.
"So what?"
Leon didn't flinch in the slightest.
"Make me avoid His edge?"
"Sorry, I also have things I carry."
"In the realm of numerical values alone, I will never be inferior to anyone."
Leon's answer was concise and powerful.
"I don't care if you are an Iron Tomb or a Stick of Wood."
"Since I don't like this story's ending, I will rewrite it with my own hands. Whomever blocks the way gets kicked to death. It's that simple."
Yes, this was not some complicated matter at all.
Since Herta failed her coronation because the competitor, the Iron Tomb, existed. Then simple: wouldn't it be fine if he just kicked the Iron Tomb to death?
There are two princes, but only one throne. This is the same logic as 'rather than improving oneself, disparage others'—kill off all the competitors, and wouldn't this position belong only to Herta?
"Heh, well said."
Herta said with her arms crossed, a very satisfied expression on her face.
"One literary, one martial, directly countering the two Paths on the 'Iron Tomb': Erudition and Destruction. Breaking them one by one—we have no reason to lose."
"This is your only chance to ascend to the position of True Lord; you must grasp it firmly."
Leon had an expression that said 'naturally.'
[I didn't expect to have the fortune of observing the human form of "Terminus."]
To be honest, Polka's death made The Silent Lord quite surprised.
[Little Witch, you really obtained an unexpected aid.]
She truly hadn't expected the always insufferably arrogant Silent Lord to also have a day where she fell into someone else's hands.
[However, to be able to see such a world-shocking battle, now even death is worth the ticket price.]
But it had nothing to do with her; The Silent Lord, observing from the sidelines, only wanted them to fight, fight!
[...] Ruan Mei was silent.
Before Leon came, among the four Geniuses invited: She was the only one supporting Herta.
The two understood each other without words, speaking no sentimental lines, just like Dong Zhuo and Lu Bu.
And the sudden arrival of Leon was just like that Diao Chan falling from the sky. Logically speaking, Diao Chan should be the third party, but seeing the two of them united in purpose to cause big trouble, she suddenly felt she was the third party.
If not for that man...
"Haha, interesting. Things are becoming more and more interesting."
Lycus looked forward to the subsequent developments.
After all, whether it was the Iron Tomb's coronation or Herta's coronation, his goal could be achieved. Naturally, there was no need to stop it.
Whether it was "Destruction Erudition" or "Rewriting the Moment," the behavior was fundamentally a denial of that God who defined boundaries for the world. And this was precisely what he pursued.
"After thirteen heartbeats."
Lycus said with keen interest.
"Will it be my absurd creation restarting the calculation of the universe, or you succeeding in rewriting the Moment, avoiding the ending where 'The Erudition' returns to silence?"
"Let us wait and see."
____
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