Chapter 388: Mobius' Choice
"Sig…"
"Hm?"
"I want to marry you."
"I was planning to wait for Sin Mal, but if you want it now, I can prepare the wedding."
"…You're right. If we leave that girl behind, she'll definitely go crazy… Never mind, then. It's not like we'll ever be separated anyway, one ceremony more or less won't change that."
"Mm."
Sigurd gently kneaded the girl's slender jade-like hands in his arms, his voice tinged with a hint of apology.
On the endless prairie, the two of them sat on the soft grass. Kiana leaned back against Sigurd's chest, a helpless yet relieved smile on her face.
Was a wedding ceremony important?
Of course, it carried deep meaning.
But in Kiana's view, Sigurd's reasoning made sense. No matter how symbolic or meaningful the ceremony was, it was still just that—a symbol. It wasn't worth disrupting the delicate harmony between the three of them. And they had a long, long future ahead. There was no need to rush and risk leaving Sin Mal with years—maybe centuries—of resentment.
Thinking about it, Kiana couldn't help turning her head to peck Sigurd on the cheek.
"Mua! Just stamping you a little first. A tiny snack!"
Her clear eyes sparkled with affection, bright and radiant.
Sigurd chuckled softly and returned a light kiss on her cheek.
Kiana's smile bloomed with joy. She couldn't resist turning around completely, shifting her posture so she could face Sigurd directly and wrap her arms around him.
"Ah~ This is so nice. Sig, in the future… let's have two children. An older brother and a little sister. The brother will be smart like you, and the sister will be as playful as me. And then the big brother can protect his little sister. What do you think?"
"Hmm… first we'd need to resolve the genetic infertility issue."
"Then hurry up and figure it out! I want them to attend our wedding too. It'll definitely be lively."
"…Isn't it usually marriage first, then children?"
Sigurd wrapped one arm around Kiana's soft, slender waist while the other hand rubbed his chin in hesitation.
But soon enough, he let the thought go.
Details like that were trivial. As long as Kiana was happy, it didn't matter.
So the two of them stayed embraced on that dream-like prairie, chatting about all sorts of nonsense, exchanging small affectionate touches from time to time.
Kiana wanted to revel in this happiness a little longer. Sigurd, too, needed this warmth to calm the panic that had burst out earlier.
It wasn't until the Book of Fuxi sent a reminder that it was dinnertime that Sigurd finally brought Kiana back to the resting space.
…
The scene shifts—to Mobius' laboratory.
Mobius sat atop her floating device, mechanical tendrils extending from it to project Kiana and Kevin's battle in mid-air.
She replayed the full sequence of Kiana's complete Herrscher transformation again and again. One hand traced her smooth cheek as a deep, eerie emotion flickered in her eyes.
"Herrscher of the Void combined with the Herrscher of Flames… damn it. Why am I stuck in this half-existent state right when I run into such fascinating new material?"
The Elysian Realm was a virtual space constructed by the Mobius of fifty thousand years ago, incorporating research from the Former Era's Herrschers of Reason, Corruption, Death, and others. It wasn't fake, exactly—but it wasn't truly real either.
Mobius increasingly longed for a real, physical body.
Without a complete return to reality, no matter how much she thought or researched, there was always an invisible barrier in the way. No matter how much interesting material she saw—she could only drool over it. For a mad scientist, this was nothing short of torture.
Her green metal finger-sleeves tapped lightly against her cheek as she pondered, and on the ninth replay, she paused the footage right at the moment Sigurd appeared.
"Herrschers… all of them are excellent vessel candidates. But unfortunately, that man knows I'm after him. He must've set up airtight defenses everywhere. If I charge in head-first, I'll definitely end up with a bloody nose—then he'll pin me down and beat me senseless."
Lost in quiet contemplation, Mobius shifted her gaze toward the experimental platform—toward Sin Mal's body, connected to countless tubes and conduits.
'My little lab mouse… personally crafted by me. Sure, everything I used was verified real-world technology from the previous era, but she really is a perfect vessel for me to reincarnate in.'
'But if he let her set foot in my laboratory, then that man has one hundred percent prepared every possible countermeasure. For all I know, he might be watching my every movement right this moment. Same problem—too dangerous to make a move.'
"Sigh…"
Mobius let out a long, miserable groan, then threw up her hands in resignation and shouted:
"Klein! I want bubble wrap!"
"Understood, Doctor."
A panel in the ceiling slid open, and a sheet of transparent bubble wrap drifted down.
Mobius caught it and began popping it between her fingers.
After a while—amid the steady pop pop pop of bursting bubbles—she sank back into thought.
'Can't use a Herrscher. Can't use my little lab mouse. The remaining options… Book of Fuxi? An ELF. Terrible compatibility with me—no. As for Hua… hm. I still don't know why she accepted becoming the Herrscher of Sentience, but either way, a spiritual-type warrior who's lived for fifty thousand years is best left untouched. Who knows how mutated her consciousness has become?'
'Last of the last, that girl called Bronya…'
'No no no, think more carefully. Sigurd must have simulated my thought process. After eliminating every other possibility, the only option left—non-Herrscher, never entering my lab, young, defenseless—would be that girl. Which makes it too obvious! He must have prepared for that too!'
'So isn't this a dead end?'
'At first glance it looks like endless opportunities, but with him standing in front of all of them, every route leads straight to death.'
"—Tch!"
Mobius shredded the bubble wrap she'd been playing with, her eyes narrowing dangerously.
"The answer is obvious, isn't it? No matter which route I choose, I'll have to face you eventually. So why not stick to the original path? Sigurd… only your body is the perfect vessel! Hahahaha!"
"I suggest you don't."
A calm male voice rose behind her.
"I'm here to give you a chance. Isn't it better to sit down and talk?"
Sigurd's voice.
Black-green fluid seeped from Mobius' palm, melting the shredded bubble wrap into nothing. Her jade-green eyes—tinged faintly with pink—slanted toward the man stepping to her side. She gave him a soft, alluring smile.
"I don't trust you. And I certainly won't entrust my future to an outsider. Besides—perfect fusion genes, limitless growth potential, unprecedented Honkai adaptability… When a body like that appears right in front of me, how could I possibly hold myself back? Fufufu…!"
With a seductive, almost intoxicating laugh, Mobius stuck out her tongue and slowly traced her upper lip—producing a hungry, wet sound that dripped with desire.
Such an enticing display earned nothing but a brief glance from Sigurd, who then dismissed her completely. He stepped past her and approached Sin Mal, slipping his hand through the cluster of cables to gently touch her forehead.
"Show me your progress," Sigurd said.
"Alright. And you can help check if I've missed anything~"
Mobius' voice turned syrupy sweet as she projected all her pre- and post-experiment data before him.
Though they were in conflict—on opposing sides—Mobius never falsified scientific data. There was no point. Sigurd would see through any lie instantly. Besides, for someone qualified to critique her research, Mobius wanted him to see more.
Line after line of data flashed before Sigurd's eyes. After a long moment, he closed the projection and sighed.
"As expected of you. Your style is nothing like mine, Otto's, or Dr. Mei's—fighting poison with poison, gambling for survival… it's reckless taken to the extreme."
"Thanks for the compliment! Lots of people say that~ But speaking of which, shouldn't you be with your little lover? What brings you wandering over to my lab?"
Mobius asked as casually as if chatting about the weather.
In truth, Mobius had physically sealed off the laboratory for a time, preventing anyone—including Klein—from entering.
Of course, she knew it was only a symbolic gesture. She never expected such measures to stop Sigurd from visiting whenever he wished.
Feeling the cold temperature of Sin Mal's forehead beneath his palm, Sigurd's expression remained calm as he replied casually:
"I overlooked the situation here for a moment. I had to come see it myself to be at ease. I hold the utmost respect for you, Dr. Mobius."
"When you were calling me a complete mess earlier, you didn't sound so respectful~"
"That was a difference in ideals. I've never underestimated your capabilities."
"Fine, I'll take that as a compliment—barely. So? Got any good suggestions for improvement?"
Mobius opened her small hand, her smile bright, eyes narrowed in self-satisfaction.
Sigurd answered:
"This is a fully mature technology system refined over fifty thousand years. I don't have anything new to offer. If I had to say something—have you considered recruiting a few Herrschers to assist you? Many of your experimental requirements would be done far more perfectly with Herrscher powers."
Mobius' expression became gradually more serious.
Because this was temptation.
And worse—temptation she could not refuse.
Herrscher authority far surpassed any man-made tool, no matter how carefully crafted. With their powers assisting biological experimentation, countless research bottlenecks that once seemed impassable could be shattered instantly, letting wild, impossible ideas step directly into reality.
"…This is the condition you're offering me?"
"You could put it that way. After cultivating so many obedient Herrschers, sending them out to fight non-stop would be a waste, wouldn't it?"
"…I admit, it's very enticing. But it's not enough for me to entrust my freedom to you. When I truly revive, everything you're offering me—I can obtain with my own hands."
"That's fine. I only wanted to let you know the option exists. When the next failure comes around, your perspective may change."
Sigurd spoke calmly.
Their eyes met—Mobius smiling faintly, Sigurd as indifferent as always.
Mobius firmly believed she could seize Sigurd's body, return to reality, and step onto the path of true infinity. And, well… considering Sigurd's impressive intellect, she would kindly dump his consciousness into a spare combat puppet and keep him as a lab assistant. That was her plan.
Sigurd's view, however, was—
It's a nice dream. But dreaming in broad daylight is a bit much, isn't it?
You're just a memory copy whose entire knowledge system and biological-modification methods are fifty-thousand-year-old relics. And you think you can challenge me—the spearhead of a new era? With dreams alone? Absurd.
Both possessed absolute confidence.
And both understood clearly that the next time they clashed wouldn't be far away.
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