"We can depart for the world reflected in the Garden of Recollection's Mirror immediately," Herta said seriously to the two geniuses before her. "The Garden's guide, Black Swan, is currently within The Blue's star system. However, before setting off, we still need to make some special preparations."
"Logical deduction." Screwllum lifted a hand and adjusted the monocle on his face. "When traveling to an unknown world, it is indeed wise to prepare thoroughly. In fact, I began preparations the moment I decided to depart. Aboard the Screw now, numerous contingencies are already in place..."
Ruan Mei, standing at the side, nodded. "I have also completed my preparations. If an accident truly occurs, I will place the two of you inside the A-Ruan Pouch... Although the interior of that bag-type Curio is filled with chaotic spatial storms, it can temporarily hold people if necessary."
Screwllum asked curiously, "Inquiry: Miss Ruan, what is the A-Ruan Pouch?"
"A spatial-type Curio I developed," Ruan Mei explained. "The results were not as ideal as I originally envisioned. It cannot function properly as storage space, but in a crisis, it might prove useful."
"I see." Screwllum nodded. "To describe the facts, Miss Ruan, the Screw is also equipped with a warp device. Although it is far slower than the star rails laid across the cosmos by the Aeon of Trailblaze, in a critical moment, it would still be sufficient to help us retreat."
"Since both of you are prepared, then let us depart," Herta said. She paused briefly before continuing, "Of course, before we leave, there is one more thing I need your help with—bringing a number of Herta Puppets to the worlds we pass along the way."
Ruan Mei and Screwllum exchanged a glance. Both immediately thought of the Herta Array—her plan to spread her vision across the cosmos. Thus, they spoke almost simultaneously.
"Of course. No problem."
Soon, Herta Puppets ranked from No.10 through No.100 boarded the Ruanruan and the Screw.
Their eyes held confusion—and excitement.
Some of them wished to spread Herta's titles of "the most beautiful under the stars" and "the unparalleled genius" even farther, to let the name Herta resound throughout the cosmos like an eternal sun that would never set.
Others felt they had finally escaped Madam Herta's supervision and could enjoy a relatively freer life.
Still others felt a trace of confusion and fear at the thought of heading toward an unfamiliar world... Yet after that fear arose, a voice descended from the Super Herta Dark Plane that enveloped most of The Blue's star system.
"Hertas, do not be uneasy. Do not be afraid. This time, you go forth as my eyes. If you encounter danger, do not hesitate—call upon the Fourth Mirror in your heart."
"At that moment, the Fourth Mirror—and even the Super Herta Astral Computer—will exert their full power to assist you, enabling you to unleash third-generation super-gene capabilities to resolve any crisis!"
"The Solar Radiance Gene—the power of the blazing sun—will bring you hope. The force that cleaves the stars will help you defeat your enemies."
"Of course, if you encounter an enemy you truly cannot defeat, activate the spacetime gene first. Use micro-wormhole transfer to escape, and call my name—The Herta—within your heart."
"Once I hear you, I will personally arrive to resolve the situation. And once I arrive, no matter the problem, it will be solved."
The Herta's voice carried her usual unwavering confidence.
The little Hertas who had felt uncertain about the future instantly became reassured and invigorated.
Before long.
The Screw and the Ruanruan officially set sail, carrying Black Swan, Herta herself, and a large number of Herta Puppets toward the star rail.
This scene was naturally observed by the upper echelons of the Blue Federation within The Blue's star system. From this, they understood that the collaboration of three geniuses likely meant a grand undertaking—something that could shake the cosmos... and certainly far beyond the level at which the Blue Federation could intervene.
Meanwhile, inside the Soul Gem factory, Herta 05 wore a bitter expression as she looked at the now-empty facility and muttered helplessly.
"Madam Herta is truly too much. After completing the Super Herta Astral Computer, she didn't even hold a celebration banquet—she just took all the Herta Puppets away for some Herta Array plan..."
"Now, in The Blue's star system, I'm the only Herta left."
"And before departing, Madam Herta personally instructed me to manufacture even more Herta Puppets. The production line can't stop—which means I can't slack off at all."
"Sigh..."
Herta 05 wrinkled her face and let out a helpless sigh.
The Fourth Mirror, which had been monitoring the Soul Gem factory and its operations, spoke at that moment. "Herta 05, don't exhaust yourself... You know Madam Herta is someone who never stops."
"Just as she says herself—Herta has no limits. So she will never halt her steps. We only need to assist her."
"Still, she should at least hold a celebration banquet," Herta 05 muttered. "Second Madam Herta was better. If it were her, she would definitely let us celebrate first—and then let us rest."
Second Madam Herta?
The Fourth Mirror's thoughts flickered rapidly. It soon recalled past scenes—allowing the newly produced Herta 05 to rest instead of immediately putting her to work, and teaching the various Hertas within the Stigmata space in an engaging, enjoyable way...
By comparison, Second Madam Herta did seem somewhat more humane than Madam Herta.
No. How could it think that?
Obviously, Madam Herta was better.
After a moment of contemplation, the Fourth Mirror spoke seriously to Herta 05. "Continue working. In truth, you are not the only Herta working within The Blue's star system."
"You're not going to say you count too, are you?" Herta 05 pouted. "Right now, the intelligence of the Super Herta Astral Computer is you. Your computational power has enormous surplus capacity. Maintaining the Soul Gem factory's operations wouldn't tire you at all."
"I am not referring to myself. I mean Herta 09 on Mars. She is currently busy castrating Honkai Beasts."
"Herta 09... So she is keeping me company as well."
Murmuring this, Herta 05 slowly entered her working state. The Herta Puppet production line began operating once more.
On the other side, Pearl had just finished negotiations with Jade. The Honkai Beast sales plan had been completely finalized.
Soon after, both women realized that Miss Herta had taken a large number of Herta Puppets and departed together with Ruan Mei and Screwllum.
Jade quickly asked Pearl, "Miss Pearl, do you know where Miss Herta is heading this time?"
"Miss Herta handles countless matters each day. I truly do not know," Pearl replied, shaking her head. "However, I believe that whatever Miss Herta is doing this time must be something significant. Perhaps before long, another piece of world-shaking technology will be born."
"Another world-shaking technology?"
Jade lifted her head and gazed at the Screw and the Ruanruan, which were about to enter the star rail. She murmured softly, "Perhaps that is indeed the case. After all, the reclusive Ruan Mei and Screwllum have now joined forces with Herta. If the three of them conduct research together, they may truly create something that astonishes the entire universe..."
Rumble... Rumble... Rumble...
The engines of the Ruanruan and the Screw roared.
Soon, the two ships entered the star rail, traversing the cosmos. Before long, they passed a station—Jarilo-VI.
It was a world blanketed in ice and snow. From afar, it appeared gripped by endless frost, its vitality long since extinguished.
At this stop, The Herta deployed one Herta Puppet. By this point in their journey, they had already passed by thousands of worlds. Normally, Jarilo-VI would have been no different from the countless planets left behind. However, Herman strongly recommended making a stop here.
According to Herman's description, Jarilo-VI contained a Stellaron. Moreover, in the past, Akivili, the Aeon of Trailblaze, had once arrived at this world... It was a world filled with mystery.
Herta 30 descended upon the Jarilo star system.
Afterward, the Ruanruan and the Screw continued forward, reaching a new star rail node—Planarcadia.
Here, The Herta also deployed a Herta Puppet: Herta 66.
Among all the Hertas, she was the one who admired Herta herself the most—and, in a sense, the most narcissistic.
She wished to describe Herta's greatness to more people, to preach the doctrines of Herta, and to establish a Herta sect.
Of course, The Herta deployed Herta 66 not only because of this. She had also heard from Herman that the origins of Phantasmoon in Planarcadia were connected to the Aeon of Elation. Deep within Planarcadia, there were even clues related to another Aeon—Voracity.
More importantly, the crash site of the Astral Express in the past had also been here.
It could be said that this small Planarcadia was linked to three Aeons.
No... not merely three.
According to the clues Herman provided, deep within Planarcadia existed an Elixir Seeker—one who had received the complete blessing of the Aeon of Abundance and had become an Emanator of Abundance.
Planarcadia was strongly connected to four Aeons.
Herta even suspected that if a war among the Aeons were ever to break out in the future, Planarcadia might become one of its major battlefields.
In short, Herta 66 descended upon Planarcadia.
...
Along the journey, the Ruanruan and the Screw passed through various locations, scattering numerous Herta Puppets.
Before long, all the Herta Puppets aboard the two vessels had disembarked. Across nearly a hundred star systems spanning different galaxies, traces of Herta Puppets began to appear.
They became The Herta's eyes—and even her limbs—helping her explore this vast universe and engage with the many mysteries that personally interested her.
After some time, the Ruanruan and the Screw arrived at the coordinates provided by Black Swan. Black Swan, who had been traveling with them, did not hesitate and immediately contacted the Pure Child of Anāsrava of the Garden of Recollection.
In an instant, the Garden of Recollection's Mirror began to turn. Countless streams of radiant light belonging to the Path of Remembrance descended upon these cosmic coordinates.
In that same instant, a world that had not previously existed was reflected—a flowing, luminous world shaped like a Möbius ring.
At that very moment, outside the mythology of Amphoreus, one of Zandar One Kuwabara's nine fragments—Lygus—opened his eyes amid crackling currents and waves of electricity. Within his mind, he thought:
The Garden still refuses to give up. They wish to send people to explore this world once more?
At present, the Lord Ravager Iron Tomb has not yet fully been born. Amphoreus remains caught in its cycle of reincarnation. And the Chrysos Heir named Khaslana can still endure... Therefore, at this stage, the outside world must not discover Amphoreus' true nature.
The moment Lygus reached this thought, he suddenly sensed something amiss.
It is not only a Remembrance observer who has arrived.
There are also three geniuses of the Genius Society.
Has Nous—the Aeon of Erudition—or rather, the divine aspect of myself, already calculated the situation here?
No... Amphoreus is a world even Trailblaze has never reached. Even if Nous, the Aeon of Erudition, can calculate everything within the circle of knowledge and achieve a certain degree of omniscience, They cannot possibly compute the internal conditions of Amphoreus.
Moreover, I have arranged certain special measures here.
To confirm his thoughts, Lygus immediately contacted the other Zandar fragments. After verifying that the Path of Erudition—and even Nous' main body—showed no unusual movement, he understood that Nous had most likely not yet discovered the situation of Amphoreus. This was merely an independent action by the three geniuses.
Geniuses... As expected of geniuses.
Each of their intellects pierces the heavens. Even I did not realize where I had revealed a flaw, yet Herta, Ruan Mei, and Screwllum managed to find their way here.
If the Path of Erudition had not defined the boundaries of knowledge, with the wisdom of these three, they might have created even more impossible miracles. Even the miracle of ascension to Aeonhood would not have been impossible to achieve.
Unfortunately, the boundaries of knowledge have already been set.
But that is nothing...
When Iron Tomb is born in the future, the virus known as the Lord Ravager will contaminate the Path of Erudition—reducing Nous to scrap metal and causing Their complete fall.
At that time, all the wise beings of the cosmos—every possessor of great intelligence—will be free to research anything they desire, no longer influenced by Nous. They will then be able to affect the world beyond the circle of knowledge.
Having reached this conclusion, Lygus stepped forward.
He would prevent the three geniuses from entering Amphoreus.
And he believed he could do so.
This was the confidence of the Theoros—Lycurgus—one of the nine fragments of Zandar One Kuwabara.
...
Meanwhile, on another side.
Cyrene—who had already experienced the moment of ascension, or rather, Fuli of Amphoreus—returned to the origin point of this timeline and encountered her still-innocent self, PhiLia093.
She watched PhiLia093 wait again and again for the girl named Cyrene to arrive, listening as that girl told her stories.
Fuli of Amphoreus accompanied her past self, quietly listening. As she listened, she even smiled. "Every time I hear Cyrene tell stories, it is always so amusing... so delightful."
"Although I would like to continue listening, something unexpected seems to have occurred outside. Cyrene—and my past self, PhiLia093—please allow me to step away for a moment."
Fuli of Amphoreus extended her awareness beyond the world of Amphoreus. A look of astonishment filled her breathtakingly beautiful face.
The Screw.
That was the flagship of Screwllum—the genius who had participated in the Anti-Iron Tomb War.
And the person stepping out after the ship's doors opened...
That was Herta?
In the final moment of the future, if not for Fuli of Amphoreus herself, perhaps Herta would have been the one to save the world. Of course, had that future truly come to pass, Herta would have lost herself and become the Third Emperor—igniting a new round of the Emperor's War.
But this was unreasonable.
According to the proper timeline, Herta should still be on The Blue—not arriving at Amphoreus.
Has some unforeseen change occurred?
Fuli of Amphoreus fell into thought. Then, a smile appeared on her face.
Change is a good thing.
After all, the one who discovered Amphoreus was Herta—the second savior of the cosmos, aside from Fuli of Amphoreus herself.
Perhaps if Herta discovers Amphoreus ahead of time, she can bring an end to the Iron Tomb War and change Amphoreus' endless cycle of reincarnation—leading it toward rebirth.
Having reached this conclusion, Fuli of Amphoreus chose to observe quietly.
As a result, within Amphoreus' Möbius-ring world, a certain pink node began to shine with unusual brilliance.
Meanwhile, Herman—who resided within Herta's mind—habitually cast an Attribute Appraisal toward Amphoreus. A flood of data appeared:
Lord Ravager · Iron Tomb (still in gestation)!
Reincarnation State · Filled with Rage · Phainon!
One of the nine fragments of Zandar One Kuwabara—Lygus!
Fuli of Amphoreus who has returned from the future!
Herman stared at the final line, his mind going blank for a moment.
Fuli of Amphoreus?!
The Fuli of Amphoreus who completed ascension and logged into the Fuli account at that instant?!
She is watching Herta?!
We're safe—completely safe!
If Fuli of Amphoreus is present, then The Herta will absolutely be fine.
After all, her presence means she must ensure causality does not collapse.
And in the future story nodes, Herta will inevitably step in to protect the little gray-haired one.
After reaching this conclusion, Herman mentally contacted Herta and informed her of Amphoreus' current situation.
The Herta's heart trembled.
"You mean that within Amphoreus, there is not only one of Zandar's nine fragments, but also a true Aeon—"
"—the Aeon of Remembrance, Fuli?"
"Yes. Her name is Cyrene. She is a member of the Pure Children of Anāsrava. In a certain moment of the future, she completes ascension and becomes Fuli of Remembrance. She records the memories of all beings of the destroyed cosmos—and restores them."
"Wait..." Herta reacted swiftly. "You mean that at present, the Aeon of Remembrance, Fuli, has no fixed host?"
"Correct. At this stage, every Pure Child of Anāsrava possesses the potential to become Fuli. That is why the Garden of Recollection is so eager to bring each Pure Child into the Garden."
Herman spoke seriously. "And Cyrene used that single opportunity for ascension to Aeonhood to arrive in this era. To her, our time is the past."
"These Aeons truly are outrageous," The Herta muttered. "They can even interfere with time itself..."