"Dr. Davis, could we pretend that today we've never met?"
After confirming that Daniel Davis was not one of Otto's men, Walter let out a sigh of relief. Although, for him, even if his identity were exposed, he could simply leave St. Freya Academy—but that would, of course, mean his mission couldn't continue.
"You're teaching here to keep an eye on Kiana, aren't you? Or more precisely, are you here for K423—or perhaps the Void Ruler?"
There was only one explanation for a leader of Anti-Entropy like Walter to show up at St. Freya Academy as a teacher. Even though Kiana appeared harmless now, she was, after all, the Void Ruler. Once she awakens fully, she might trigger another disaster on the scale of the Second Honkai Eruption.
To be safe, Walter naturally intended to stay by her side so that if any mishap occurred, he could intervene immediately. At the same time, Walter harbored his own agenda—perhaps he could even coax the Second Ruler, much like the way the First Ruler once did, to bring her over to humanity's side.
Back in the day, when Kiana's Ruler energy awakened in her childhood, Siegfei lost an arm and then abandoned her. Though he didn't stop caring entirely, Siegfei simply didn't know how to face Kiana at that time and walked away. In Daniel Davis's view, giving her Kiana's true name and then walking off was truly baffling—though, considering Siegfei's circumstances back then, it might be somewhat understandable.
But Kiana was the Void Ruler. Even if Siegfei coldly walked away, neither Schicksal nor Anti-Entropy would simply abandon her.
Schicksal's Otto intended to harness the power of the Void Ruler to complete his plan, while Anti-Entropy worried that Kiana might undergo another Ruler awakening. That previous awakening—if Siegfei hadn't desperately intervened (or hadn't resorted to the Heavenly Fire Judgment)—might have easily resulted in an entire city being destroyed.
"You—who exactly are you, and how do you know all this?"
Walter Young grew wary once more, even summoning the Eden Star, and ordered Einstein to stay away. It was hardly surprising he was on edge; Kiana's situation was classified even within Anti-Entropy. Only Walter, Einstein, Tesla, and Siegfei knew the truth.
Even Thunder Dragon Ma and Cocolia were unaware that Kiana was truly the Void Ruler. If Cocolia were to learn the truth, her target wouldn't be just Thunder Valkyrie Mei—it would likely include Kiana as well.
"You need not have Einstein leave. I have no intention of striking him. The reason I know so much is that I have observed similar worlds. I'm sure you both are familiar with the Second Divine Key, 'One-Carriage of the Ten Realms.' You may consider that I possess a similar ability."
"Observing parallel worlds? That's very plausible. So what is your purpose?"
"I intend to borrow the core of the Ruler of Reason for research."
Daniel Davis said this without any hesitation.
"You certainly know a lot."
Einstein looked at Daniel Davis intently; from that remark, it was clear that Davis knew the Ruler of Reason's core could be inherited—a secret of Anti-Entropy as well.
"Don't worry—I'm only interested in studying it. I have no desire to become a Ruler. In return, I can share with you some knowledge of the future. Although my presence might cause a butterfly effect, overall the benefits outweigh the drawbacks."
Walter and Einstein fell silent. Truthfully, neither of them wished to hand over the Ruler's core to a man they'd just met for research. Yet, given the complexity of current circumstances, there was little choice.
"If we don't agree, your next candidate will likely be Otto—I recall he holds the Void Archive."
After a brief pause, Einstein fixed his gaze on Daniel Davis and said, "Indeed, his Void Archive is exactly what I desire. But rest assured, I'm not one to stoop to his level. I am not the kind of person who would use any means necessary to achieve my goals."
"And what is your purpose in researching the Ruler's core?" Einstein pressed further.
"My purpose is simple—I want the power of the Ruler of Reason. I know that under certain conditions, as long as one holds the Ruler's core, even if it is lost, one can still wield the power of the Ruler of Reason. That is my goal."
This was Daniel Davis's plan—a win–win solution he had deduced from Walter's and Otto's behavior. Even if Walter later transferred the Ruler's core to Bronie, he himself would still retain a substantial amount of power. Besides, when Otto fought the Imaginary Tree in the final battle, even if he lost the Void Archive, he could still construct various "Divine Keys" to fight.
And that earlier Waite was merely a clone created using Walter's genuine genes—a being still capable of wielding the Eden Star's power.
"Rest assured: the next successor of the Ruler of Reason is Bronie. I have no intention of competing with her for the Ruler's core. You can be sure of that."
Seeing the silence on Walter's and Einstein's faces, Daniel Davis decided to offer a small spoiler.
"Bronie is Cocolia's daughter."
At this, Einstein's face immediately furrowed. While she had no objections to Bronie herself, she harbored a great deal of animosity toward Cocolia.
"She is a highly qualified Ruler of Reason. From my observations, it was after you personally tested her, Walter, that you passed on the Ruler's core to her. The Ruler of Reason, the Void Ruler, and the Thunder Ruler—they're all Rulers and, more importantly, good friends. Isn't that fascinating?"
This remark left both Walter and Einstein momentarily dumbfounded. They were aware that Thunder Valkyrie Mei was the Thunder Ruler, but they'd never considered it from this perspective—until now.
"So, according to you, in the end they all stand with humanity?"
"Indeed. St. Freya Academy could practically be renamed 'Academy of Rulers.' Roughly half of the Rulers are students there—and nearly all of them stand with humanity. Headmistress Theresa truly is the greatest asset in our fight against Honkai."
Needless to say, the "Three Royal Houses" were not even mentioned. As for the Wind Ruler, Wendy—if it weren't for Cocolia's interference, she would almost certainly be on humanity's side. Add to that Fu Hua's Recognizer of Rulers and the high probability that Xier might be the Ruler of Death, and that would make five Rulers in total.
Walter and Einstein were both taken aback. So many Rulers aligning with humanity was something they had never anticipated. If true, it would be an enormous boon for humanity, greatly reducing the number of sacrifices required.
Typically, the birth of every Ruler costs the sacrifice of an entire city—including the First Ruler of Reason. (The Wind Ruler Wendy is, for now, excluded.)
Strictly speaking, even a Ruler who doesn't fight for humanity, simply by refraining from harming them, is already an immense blessing.
"If that's truly the case, then Headmistress Theresa is most deserving of praise."
At this, Walter's lips twitched. He had never imagined that Theresa would combat Honkai in this way—it was completely unlike the Headmistress who used to laze around in her office reading Hoom comics.
"What is Otto's true objective?"
After a brief silence, Einstein asked again.
Einstein's question piqued Walter's curiosity as well. Schicksal had always been humanity's primary organization for opposing Honkai. Even Walter had to admit that without Schicksal's Valkyries, human society wouldn't be nearly as peaceful. Anti-Entropy's mechs might maintain order in parts of the world, but they could never ensure global tranquility.
Yet Otto's actions during the First and Second Honkai eruptions were hardly what one would call genuine opposition to Honkai. In fact, without Otto's interference, the aftermath of the Second Eruption might have been far worse.
Back then, Walter had almost eliminated Xilin. Thanks to Otto, Xilin managed to escape, only to return later upgraded into a Six-Core Ruler.
Such actions were not truly about opposing Honkai. The key question was: why was Otto doing this? Even Einstein and Tesla's combined intellect could scarcely fathom it.
"I have my reasons. But I've said enough for now—please, consider my earlier proposal carefully."
With that, Daniel Davis vanished in a flash, leaving Walter and Einstein to deliberate. The matter of the Ruler's core was extremely important, and expecting them to decide immediately might be a bit overbearing.
"Einstein, go back and discuss this with Tesla," Walter instructed.
"Stay here—you don't have to decide right away. Once Tesla and I have talked it over, we'll come back to you," Einstein replied.
With that, Walter Young and Einstein departed in opposite directions.
Later, when Daniel Davis returned to Kiana's dormitory, Theresa arrived carrying the Oath of Judah, with Himeko following close behind.
Once Himeko's condition had normalized, her previous habit of heavy drinking had ceased. Although she still drank occasionally, she no longer got completely wasted or went to bars trying to pick up handsome guys.
Originally, Himeko had planned to experience a passionate romance before her time ran out. Sadly, due to her profession, habits, and limitations in strength, that never came to pass.
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As for those who approached her merely for her beauty—once they discovered she could snap steel with her bare hands—they promptly fled. A Valkyrie who could harness Honkai energy was simply on a whole other level compared to ordinary humans.
"Anti-Entropy has attacked Mei, and that wretched Cocolia is truly over the line," Theresa remarked.
Theresa knew it was Cocolia behind the assault because she had encountered her before—and even clashed with her online.
This time, Cocolia's ruse was the classic "mantis catches cicada while the oriole watches" tactic. Waite was nothing more than her disposable clone. Whether her plan succeeded or failed was of little consequence.
"Theresa, be careful," Himeko whispered to Theresa, her eyes briefly flicking toward Bronie and Xier, whose expressions were notably downcast.
"Bronie, Xier—this isn't your concern. No one can live here today. You all move into my quarters for now; we'll have the dorm repaired tomorrow."
Due to Waite's attack, the dorm was in shambles. Doors and furniture were reduced to fragments, and the floor was pockmarked from the heavy gravity assault.
The greatest loss was Bronie's equipment—the entire set of her computer gear and gaming setup had been destroyed. This was thanks to Black Xier's timely intervention, which had repelled Waite; otherwise, the entire dorm might have been wiped out.
"Everyone, gather your things," Himeko ordered, and the group began to tidy up. Then she turned to Theresa, somewhat sheepishly saying, "Theresa, it's all my fault—I shouldn't have been absent."
"Himeko, it's not your fault. You couldn't have foreseen they'd come," Theresa reassured.
"Fu Hua, you head back and rest. We'll discuss things tomorrow."
Theresa, as Headmistress, lived in a separate villa. Initially, she had intended for Kiana to live with her, but Kiana had refused, preferring to stay with Mei. Eventually, Bronie joined them, and the three ended up living together in one dorm.
"Cocolia's forces have attacked Thunder Valkyrie Mei and even compromised St. Freya's database."
Just as Theresa had finished settling Kiana and the others, news from Schicksal Headquarters reached her via Otto—so swiftly it was astonishing.
"That woman Cocolia sure has ambition. What's the status of Dr. Makki?"
Otto, holding a glass of red wine, wore a look of complete control as he spoke.
"Already in contact with Cocolia of Anti-Entropy. They should act within the next few days," replied Amber, standing behind Otto in a low voice.
"Hasn't he made up his mind yet? Inform him that in two days the Tranquil Gem is to be delivered to headquarters."
"Understood."
"Truly, the Oath of Judah is a fearsome Divine Key. No wonder so many fusion warriors of the previous civilization perished fighting the Constraint Rulers. In magical terms, it's essentially a ban on magic."
Leveraging his relationship with Theresa, Daniel Davis had borrowed Theresa's Oath of Judah. She had been reluctant to lend it out—the Divine Key, while immensely powerful, required extremely strict conditions before anyone could use it. Not everyone was cut out to wield a Divine Key.
To use one, you needed two things: an immense reserve of Honkai energy (since every Divine Key demanded sufficient Honkai energy to manifest its power) and the ability to resist Honkai's corrosive effects.
After Daniel Davis demonstrated his prowess and fearlessly withstood the onslaught of Honkai energy, Theresa readily agreed to lend him the Oath, while also explaining some of its uses. One saying went something like, "You never know how many ways there are to use the Oath."
The most potent use, naturally, was the "Zero-Rated Divine Grace Barrier." This could form a barrier with a radius of one hundred kilometers—that is, a diameter of two hundred kilometers—within which Honkai energy was completely nullified, and other forms of energy were significantly weakened.
In the previous civilization, there were probably around a hundred fusion warriors. Yet, in the fight against the Constraint Rulers, only thirteen survived. That is how the later Flame Chasers came to be known as the "Thirteen Heroes."
"Once we reach the Promised Land of Yore, after these matters here are resolved, perhaps we can negotiate with Kevin so that I may meet the Thirteen Heroes."
Thinking of the Flame Chasers made Daniel Davis recall the Promised Land of Yore. While he himself wasn't particularly interested in matters like the "Thousand Calamities," others such as Alicia, Eden, and Fu Hua certainly were.
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