The moment she realized it was Herta herself, Asta instinctively took a step back. But she knew better than to retreat now—to do so would be to lose everything.
"Good afternoon, Madam Herta," she said, bowing politely.
Herta's gaze swept over her, cold and dismissive. Asta could not meet her eyes; guilt flickered at the edges of her composure.
"If you have nothing to do, Asta, go back to work."
In the past, Asta would have smiled and obeyed. But this time, she shook her head, forcing a smile.
"Madam Herta, Herta Ninety-Nine is acting as station master today."
Herta's brow arched. Her icy stare shifted to Herta Ninety-Nine, who had been quietly watching the exchange.
Caught in that frozen glare, Herta Ninety-Nine quickly nodded. "Asta... wasn't feeling well. I agreed to fill in temporarily."
Herta let out a sharp exhale. There was something about Herta Ninety-Nine that felt... off. That chill she'd felt earlier—was it from this puppet?
She studied her closely. Herta Ninety-Nine felt as though she had stepped into a frozen wasteland in the middle of summer.
She knows, Herta Ninety-Nine thought, her mind racing. She knows what I was dreaming about. Am I going to be formatted? Sent to some frontier planet?
Asta stepped forward before the silence could stretch further. "Madam Herta, I was hoping to invite Madam Ruan Mei to the blue planet for a film."
Herta yawned, visibly unimpressed. "A film? Why would I need to watch a film? Nothing in any film is even a fraction as interesting as my own life."
Asta managed an awkward smile. For science fiction, perhaps. But there were other genres.
She leaned closer and whispered, "Madam Herta, there's a film showing now—fantasy. The main character is a cold, aloof saintess, a swordswoman of great skill. The other is a proud, sickly sorceress, slowly losing herself. It might be... instructive. A reference point, perhaps."
Herta's eyes flickered with interest. She covered it with a cough, her voice carefully neutral. "I haven't seen a film in a thousand years. I suppose I could make an exception. Ruan Mei? What do you think?"
Ruan Mei watched Herta's sudden shift in attitude with quiet curiosity. What did Asta say to make her change her mind?
"If you're going, I'll go."
Herta nodded. "And what brought you to the space station?"
Ruan Mei's gaze was cool. She couldn't say she came to explain herself to Asta—and, perhaps, to see Herta as well.
"I wanted to check on the Starcrusher Swarm King. See if what someone told me was true."
Herta feigned ignorance, pretending she hadn't heard the question. She summoned her magic key, opening a [Mirror] to the blue planet. She couldn't exactly admit that she'd spent the past few weeks tormenting the creature until its light had gone out entirely.
She was about to step through when Asta caught her sleeve.
"Madam Herta, I'm coming too. I invited you both."
Herta hesitated, then pulled Asta through with them. It was simpler to think of her as another strategist, like Herta Ninety-Nine. Her own recent self-reflection had left her with no reason to be wary of her.
But every time she glanced at Asta, her eyes landed on the starry sleeve pendant at her wrist.
She gritted her teeth. Jealousy. Useless. Ruan Mei would make her something better.
---
The Blue Planet. An Interstellar Cinema.
I was a lone wolf. A lone wolf who bowed to no one.
In Aurum Alley, on the Xianzhou Luofu, I, Linton Scotty, made a bet with that girl March 7th. She didn't fight fair. She called in Genius Society members #81 and #83—Ruan Mei and Herta.
I fought with everything I had. I didn't back down. I didn't flinch. My legend as the lone wolf should have continued.
But my superiors were afraid. Afraid of being caught in the wake of my recklessness, of losing their contracts with the Genius Society. They sent me from a promising future in the company to this—a ticket seller in a cinema on the blue planet.
It wasn't fair. A lone wolf shouldn't wither away in a place like this, fading into obscurity.
And everywhere on this planet, Herta's face stared down from posters and screens. Songs of her greatness played on loop. Scotty was sick of it.
"Uncle Scotty, two sodas and some popcorn, please. And two tickets."
Scotty blinked, pulled from his reverie. He looked down at the child who visited every weekend, always finding time to chat. He had seen something in this one—the makings of a lone wolf.
A smile softened his face. "It's you, little one. Here's what you wanted. When will your father arrive?"
"He'll be here soon."
"Good."
He was about to hand over the tickets when the cinema manager appeared, snatching them away. He tore them in half and refunded the money.
"Manager, what—"
The manager's glare was sharp. "Did you not see my message? Your performance this month is forfeit. The cinema's been booked for a private event. No more sales. Any tickets already sold, refund them double."
Scotty stared in disbelief. Then the crowd before him parted like a sea.
Familiar figures stepped forward. His breath caught.
Herta.
His first instinct was not revenge. It was to hide. To run.
Losing to March 7th, to Yanqing, to Yunli—that was a beating, a few harsh words, and it was over. But catching Herta's displeasure meant his superiors, eager to curry favor, would strip away everything he had built. His future. His ambition. Everything.
If he drew her attention again, he would be sent to some distant world to clear wasteland until his dying day.
By the time his mind caught up with his body, he was already out of the cinema, far from her sight.
He exhaled slowly. Keep your distance. Keep what little you have left.
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Power Stone Progress: 331/375 (5 Chapters)
Review Progress: 3/5 (5 Chapters)
Bonus Chapters Owed: 5
New Fanfic Genshin Impact: A Liyue Storyteller Makes Hu Tao Tear Up is out.