Pure white light emanated from the Black Abyss White Flower, weaving together with the golden particle motes drifting from the girl's ethereal form. This combined energy converged on Murata Himeko's body, mending the battle-scarred warrior. Her hidden injuries vanished, and the corrosion from Honkai energy was erased.
Her ravaged body was reborn in that moment. The red-haired Valkyrie's complexion regained its healthy, rosy glow, her physical condition now as pristine as a newborn infant's.
"Phew... Good thing I crammed so much medical knowledge before coming here."
Joyce breathed a sigh of relief as he looked at the fully recovered Murata Himeko. He casually plunged the borrowed Black Abyss White Flower into the deck of the Hermes, then glanced up at Kiana, who was zipping wildly around the imaginary space, and rolled his eyes.
"Gaining Herrscher powers... Is it really necessary to be this excited...?"
"Have you ever played chess, Mr. Joyce? In chess, there's a rule called 'pawn promotion.' When a pawn reaches the opponent's back rank, it can transform from a humble pawn into a rook, knight, bishop, or even a queen."
"It's probably like the feeling of an ugly duckling transforming into a beautiful swan..."
"Then shouldn't this excitement have worn off by now? She's been zipping around wildly ever since she started..."
Joyce shook his head helplessly as he watched Kiana continuously fly and teleport.
"What child hasn't dreamed of soaring through the sky? It's just that for some, that dream has now come true."
"Still, she's been causing a ruckus for quite a while now..."
"Kiana, if you don't come down soon... I'm leaving with Himeko!"
The blonde girl's voice wasn't loud, but it was enough to echo through the space. Hearing this, the white shooting star abruptly halted its trajectory, then dashed and teleported directly in front of Welt and Snow.
"Eek! I got too carried away and forgot about Himeko..."
Kiana appeared before them in a flash, scratching her hair with her right hand and turning her head away, looking slightly embarrassed.
"So, what's worth getting so hyped about for this long?"
Joyce studied the junior Herrscher before him with curiosity.
"And you are, old man?"
Kiana asked, looking at the indigo-haired man she'd never seen before. She felt a resonance from him, one that also came from a Herrscher Core.
"How do I look like an old man...?"
Joyce pouted and explained, "I'm Welt Joyce, the First Herrscher. I suppose you could call me one of the founders of Anti-Entropy."
"A founder of Anti-Entropy? Then, Grandpa, you must be at least sixty or seventy years old... You really don't look like an old guy—Hello, Grandpa Welt Joyce, the First Herrscher."
Kiana bowed respectfully to the indigo-haired "grandpa," completely cutting off whatever Joyce had been about to say.
"In that case, Kiana, you should thank Grandpa Welt Joyce—Himeko's body was healed with his help."
Snow smiled mischievously as she reminded Kiana.
"Huh?! Himeko's body is healed? Thank you, Grandpa Joyce!!"
Learning that her teacher, who had been living on borrowed time, had been given a new lease on life, the white-haired girl bowed deeply and respectfully to Joyce, completely silencing any further protests he might have had.
The indigo-haired young man was speechless for a long moment. He looked helplessly at the white-haired girl, who was bowing so respectfully and solemnly, and finally nodded.
"It was nothing... Also, you can call me 'Uncle' or 'Mr. Joyce'... Just please don't call me 'Grandpa.' Do I really look that old?"
The indigo-haired young man began to seriously question whether he had actually aged.
"Huh? But the founders of Anti-Entropy should be at least sixty or seventy years old, right? Shouldn't I call you 'Grandpa' to show respect? Especially since you completely healed Teacher Himeko."
Kiana, her initial excitement fading, looked at the young man in confusion.
"You have to consider people's appearance, Miss Kiana..."
"Let me give you an example, Miss Kiana. Would you dare call your teacher, Miss Murata Himeko, 'Old Auntie Himeko'?"
"..."
Kiana quickly recalled the consequences of calling Himeko "Auntie" in the past—and this time, it would have the word "old" attached...
"No way. I'd get beaten to a pulp. Himeko prefers it when we call her 'Big Sis' or something similar..."
"Exactly. By the same logic, just call me Mr. Joyce. Or even just Joyce is fine. I don't really care about seniority."
"As long as you don't call me something that makes me sound ancient, I'm fine with it."
"I understand, Grandpa Joyce... uh, Mr. Joyce."
"So old people like being called by younger-sounding titles..."
Kiana nodded in sudden realization, as if she'd just uncovered a profound truth. Nearby, Snow, who had been quietly fiddling with the crimson Gem of Serenity in her hands, suddenly looked up and flashed toward Kiana—
"So... back to the original question," Joyce said, steering the conversation back to its starting point. "I understand you're excited about your new power, Miss Kiana... but don't you think you got a little too carried away?"
"Oh, that! Mr. Joyce, you should have seen the look on Sirin's face when I kicked her Herrscher Consciousness offline! It was a mix of indignation, disbelief, and utter grievance that finally twisted into impotent rage—"
"It was like a pufferfish, all puffed up, being used to scrub shoes—and then, after being scrubbed clean, getting kicked back into the river like a soccer ball—"
"...What a bizarre analogy. But I can actually picture it. It's quite vivid..."
The First Herrscher's mouth twitched.
-
"Ah, it's ready—"
"Come forth, my White Blazing Cat!"
(Spy- Cn nickname for Herrscher of Flamescion)
The blonde girl gripped the reactivated Herrscher Gem and slapped it directly onto the chest of Kiana Kaslana, who couldn't dodge in time. Hmm, quite soft, just a little bit small.
"Whoa—! Don't just suddenly slap a Herrscher Gem on me! Are you trying to take advantage of me?!"
"Huh? You silly little bug—you're overthinking things. Yours aren't as big as Kyuusyou's, so why would I want to take advantage of you? Even your sister's are bigger—"
Kiana, with the Gem of Serenity now pressed against her chest, glared at the seemingly unconcerned Snow, whose expression even held a hint of disdain.
"So what if they're bigger?!"
"It is a big deal—but let's not get sidetracked. Hurry up! Come forth, my Firefly!"
"Hey, you changed the name again! Next, are you going to super-fuse it into a White Blazing Cat-worm?!"
"Logically speaking, that doesn't sound half bad. Anyway, just hurry up—!"
The blonde girl watched the white-haired girl with eager anticipation, waiting for the magical (Herrscher) girl's grand transformation.