For Gray Serpent, 2014 was shaping up to be the bleakest year he had ever endured.
Alright, less than a quarter of the year had passed, but for Gray Serpent, it had already been dreadful enough.
In Gray Serpent's grand design, all he needed to do this year was support Cocolia, obtain a Herrscher Core and the coordinates to Abyssal City from her, and he would have a chance to welcome back Lord Kevin.
As for how Cocolia herself planned to acquire the Herrscher Core, the answer Gray Serpent received was 'provoke Raiden Mei' and 'suppress Raiden Mei with Titans and Quantum Mechs'.
At the time, Gray Serpent had dismissed these words as nonsensical ramblings Cocolia had concocted to guard against him.
But now, looking back at the intelligence Raven had observed in Nagazora City using the Key of Judgment...
—Cocolia hadn't hidden a single thing from him.
She did exactly as she said she would.
Although Leo Ash's appearance had been a complete surprise to everyone, in hindsight, Gray Serpent felt that even without Leo Ash messing things up, Cocolia would never have been able to capture Raiden Mei.
And the problems that followed were even more severe.
Gray Serpent, not realizing the gravity of the situation at the time, had dispatched Raven to unleash Chiyou and test Schicksal's mettle.
After depleting Schicksal's strength, World Serpent would have had the perfect opportunity to secure Chiyou's corpse after Schicksal killed it, using it as sustenance to replenish Lord Kevin's power upon his return.
But now, not only had they failed to secure the Chiyou sashimi, but Raven had been captured by the enemy.
And even after revealing two of their trump cards—the artificial Emperor-class Honkai Beast and Cocolia's Pseudo-Herrscher—they still couldn't rescue her.
It had only been three days since that utterly disastrous night, and in those three days, while Shincheng Pharmaceutical hadn't been completely destroyed, it was certainly on the brink.
Otto was usually willing to play by the rules with the world's other secular powers, likely because he couldn't be bothered with the hassle.
As the world's frontline organization against the Honkai, aside from the nations aligned with Anti-Entropy and the neutral ones, what other country or organization wouldn't show Otto some respect?
When he could gain every advantage within the rules of the game, he naturally had no need to flip the table.
But now that Shincheng Pharmaceutical had been flagged by Otto, the man was certainly not going to play nice anymore.
An entire inspection team was forcibly installed into the organization, and Schicksal had demanded that all past experimental materials and research data be made fully public to them.
As the public face of the company, [Jackal] Clio had originally intended to take some measures.
But as the current person in charge of World Serpent, Gray Serpent immediately stopped Jackal's suicidal actions.
Theresa's incident and the near-disaster in Shenzhou were more than enough to provoke Otto.
The only reason he hadn't dismantled Shincheng Pharmaceutical yet was because it was genuinely useful in certain aspects.
If they provoked Otto any further, Jackal's foolish actions would only throw World Serpent's plans into greater disarray.
Of course, with things having come this far, Gray Serpent held no hope that World Serpent could remain hidden.
Otto had already dispatched the S-rank Valkyrie, Rita Rossweisse, to begin investigating their organization and the Second Divine Key.
And it had been four or five days since Raven's capture by the Far East Branch.
No matter how weak she was, with Schicksal's world-class medical system, it was more than enough to awaken her from her coma.
And Raven's loyalty to the organization was, to put it bluntly, so-so.
Gray Serpent was absolutely certain that once Schicksal offered her favorable enough terms or presented a sufficient threat, she would, one hundred percent, immediately follow her heart and choose to sell out World Serpent to save her own skin.
Putting personal feelings aside, Gray Serpent of course understood the choice Raven had likely not yet made, but certainly would in the future.
If she betrayed World Serpent and Schicksal won, the worst that could happen was she'd die in the future.
But if she didn't properly disclose the information she possessed, she would almost certainly be killed by Schicksal on the spot.
Even as a group of cybernetic cyborgs, he knew which side a person obsessed with survival would choose.
Of course, Raven wouldn't reveal everything so quickly.
She would have to release the information bit by bit to demonstrate her value while protecting her own life, which was flickering like a candle in the wind.
Right now, the most important thing for World Serpent was how to preserve their most crucial secrets within this short window of time, and then leave some scraps for Schicksal to feed on, creating the illusion that 'this organization is nothing special'.
And after abandoning a portion of their branch bases, World Serpent's funds were bound to fall into a shortage due to these losses.
If it weren't for Gray Serpent's deftness with intelligence and connections, he would feel an even more terrifying phantom pain in his non-existent stomach.
"Gray Serpent, what should we do now?"
As a scientist whose brains were no match for Gray Serpent's, Jackal was furious, but she truly didn't dare to act recklessly anymore.
Honestly, even someone as cautious as Gray Serpent had seen his plans fail repeatedly due to Leo Ash's appearance. If she, with her clumsy skills, were to mess around now, the organization would only become weaker.
"What should we do... Hah, what else can we do."
Gray Serpent, lounging on the sofa, flipped through the latest intelligence reports as he spoke to Jackal beside him.
"Shincheng Pharmaceutical is finished for now, but you still need to show your face outside."
"I know it's dangerous, but the more you act 'furious but afraid to speak out', the easier it will be to lull Schicksal into a false sense of security."
"If we were to abandon Shincheng Pharmaceutical without a second thought, Schicksal would inevitably think, 'The foundation of this organization is unfathomably deep; we absolutely cannot be careless'."
"I understand, but—will it work?"
Taking off her mask, Jackal revealed a weary face and rubbed her temples tiredly.
"That woman, Raven, will surely betray us. At this point, what's the use of us putting on an act outside?"
"Every second we can stall for is a victory."
Closing the holographic intelligence screen, Gray Serpent leaned his entire body back against the sofa and stared at the ceiling.
"Jackal, don't despair. It's not time for despair yet."
"We've already obtained the Herrscher of Reason's genes from Cocolia."
"And the first batch of Herrscher Clones will be completed in about a week. Of course, since it's a rapidly mass-produced version, they'll have flaws in both strength and intelligence."
"To us, they're basically failures."
"But, that doesn't matter—we've already found a buyer for them."
"A buyer???"
Hearing this word, Jackal couldn't comprehend Gray Serpent's meaning at all.
"What do you mean?"
"Jackal, you know this as well. The secular powers of this world are generally divided into three types."
"Those who help Schicksal, those who help Anti-Entropy, and the fence-sitters who help neither."
"We won't talk about the first two. Those factions firmly committed to their camps have nothing to do with us for now."
"But certain powers that have chosen neutrality, possess sufficient funds, yet feel a lack of security—they will need these 'failures'."
"...I think I understand what you mean."
A sarcastic smile appeared on Jackal's face upon hearing Gray Serpent's words.
"Some fools are getting restless. They want to seize this opportunity to acquire 'troops' powerful enough to gain greater international standing and a bigger voice, right?"
"Yes, powers with money and ambition... Heh, we're in need of just such partners, aren't we?"
As Gray Serpent said this, he felt some of his mental fatigue lift.
"Singapore is ranked 34th in this year's global economy."
"They have sufficiently strong economic power and a standing military, but because they are neutral, they are very passive when it comes to combating the Honkai."
"They invest in us, and we provide them with these stable versions of our failures. It's mutually beneficial, you could say."
"Mm, then I have a question."
Recalling Gray Serpent's previous plan, Jackal asked him with a puzzled expression.
"Wasn't our original plan to create a large number of Herrscher Clones, attack the Oceania Branch, and abduct that Valkyrie named Wendy?"
"The plan has changed, Jackal. Our true goal was never that little girl, but the core of a genuine Herrscher of the Current Era."
"In the last few days, I've used our comrades within Schicksal to contact Dr. Magi—a man Otto values highly, but who harbors a deep-seated grudge against him."
"Originally, Cocolia sent someone to contact Dr. Magi, hoping he would steal the Gem of Serenity and join Anti-Entropy. But because of her idiotic maneuvering, he thought she was a moron and reported her agent on the spot."
"But now, after our people contacted him, we told him our plan directly."
"Unlike Cocolia, we just don't want the Gem of Serenity in Otto's hands; we have no intention of causing a large-scale Honkai Eruption."
"And after Dr. Magi joins us, he can retain research access to the Gem of Serenity, and even keep the gem under his watch at all times."
"He just has to bring the Gem of Serenity to Singapore, and the clone army will be there to protect him."
"As for what happens to the gem after he arrives... Heh, that won't be up to him."
Listening to Gray Serpent's plan, Jackal couldn't help but feel...
—that her old senior was being a little too optimistic.
"Um, Gray Serpent, don't you think this plan is a bit too simple?"
"He was willing to report Cocolia's people. Are you sure he'll come over to us with the gem?"
"Of course he will."
Gray Serpent gave a firm answer, then explained his reasoning in a relaxed tone.
"My intelligence network has a file on him. His granddaughter, Lin Magi, was tricked by Otto into participating in the Artificial Herrscher Experiment and died right in front of him."
"If it weren't for Cocolia's brain-dead moves before, Dr. Magi might have already chosen to cooperate with her."
"He despises Otto so much that, in the face of that hatred, many things become unimportant. And that is our opportunity."
"We'll have Dr. Magi sneak out with the gem, send our people to rendezvous with him, and then have him bring the gem to Singapore."
"Then, on Cocolia's end, as long as she can get the coordinates to Abyssal City, we won't even think about causing internal strife in Anti-Entropy anymore. We'll just charge into Abyssal City with all our forces and toss the gem inside—the Lord will answer our call."
Though Gray Serpent's cyborg body prevented any expression from showing on his face,
Jackal could feel the tone of his voice had become incredibly fervent.
"So what if we compromise with secular powers now? So what if we're being routed by Otto? So what if our plans are ruined by Leo Ash time and time again? So what if we've been screwed over by Cocolia?"
"As long as the Lord returns..."
"—Everything will be alright!"
.....
St. Freya High School. Infirmary
Inside the infirmary, Leo Ash, who had just been called here, stared at the woman on the hospital bed and spoke to Himeko beside him.
"Major Himeko, this woman... has she been unconscious ever since she was captured by the Class Rep and Bronya?"
"Ah, at the time, to guard against potential enemy attacks, I had her locked in a secret cell..."
At this point, Himeko's expression suddenly turned grave.
"It was supposed to be a secret cell, yet the enemy still found it with ease."
"Considering that one of my male colleagues suddenly disappeared and became unreachable... Heh, it seems we have far more moles in the Far East Branch than I thought."
"Anyway, at the time, we didn't treat her because we didn't want the enemy to take her away."
"Now that the enemy's forces have suffered such heavy losses, they won't be able to launch a full-scale assault for the time being. Only now do I dare to let her receive treatment out here."
Saying this, Himeko looked at Leo Ash before her and suddenly let out a helpless sigh.
"Theresa and I discussed it, and we came to a conclusion."
"It's better to guide than to block. We can't stop you from climbing the ranks, so we might as well start training you early."
"It's just that, Leo Ash, sometimes fighting the Honkai isn't just about what happens on the battlefield."
Listening to Himeko's advice, Leo Ash immediately showed a look of confusion.
And seeing the confusion on Leo Ash's face, Himeko could only continue with a wry smile.
"You're a secret agent, so you should have undergone training in rhetoric and persuasion. So, when this woman wakes up, I want you to use your skills to convince her to obediently provide us with intelligence."
"If this woman is willing to cooperate with us, we at Schicksal can save a lot of effort in digging into this organization."
"At the end of the day, that organization is also a human one. If we at Schicksal can save some effort on infighting with other human organizations..."
"—We can naturally spend that energy on fighting the Honkai."
"So, even persuading an enemy to surrender is a way of fighting the Honkai."
"Rather than rushing out every day wanting to kill, kill, kill, if you were willing to use your brain a little more, you could still achieve your long-held wish, you know."
[Hah, rhetoric? Using my brain?]
[Listening to this big-breasted woman, you don't want to say anything. You just want to laugh.]
What's so funny? I think Major Murata's words are very correct.
[They're just correct nonsense—you need her to train you in rhetoric?]
[Do you have any idea about the quality of a Schicksal agent's persuasion skills!]
I think you're really underestimating people.
Himeko is saying these things because of my persona, trying to find an opportunity to advise me not to act recklessly.
But she's a high-IQ genius. In reality, these words aren't just for me; they're for this woman too.
Although this woman is still pretending to be asleep, even I can tell she's been awake for a while. You think a seasoned veteran like Himeko can't see it?
She's just using the opportunity to admonish me as a way to send a message to Raven.
You actually thought that just because I used persuasion to trick a few emotionally vulnerable girls, I would become complacent?
[No, actually, you're already really strong in this area...]
Cut the crap.
The King of Mercenaries and the Far East's top strategist aren't some young girls with no life experience.
If someone treats them like idiots who can be easily fooled, then that person...
—is the real idiot.
[...Heh, a brilliant analysis.]
[The System is truly curious. When you first arrived in this world, you weren't a blank slate, but you weren't like you are now, where lying, acting, and using rhetoric are like breathing.]
[Host, what exactly changed you?]
Is that even a question?
I just want to survive.
Life isn't a game; you can't save and reload.
Once you make a wrong choice, even if it doesn't have negative consequences in the present, it will sooner or later come back to bite you hard in the future.
Do you think I want to wrack my brain every day, thinking about how to trick and deceive people?
What quality of a Schicksal agent's persuasion skills...
—I firmly believe that anyone with the same intelligence as me could do similar things when their back is against the wall.
[I really don't know if you think too highly of others or too little of yourself... Heh, if you think that mentality is good enough, then keep it up.]
"Alright, the idle chatter is over. Now then, Leo Ash..."
After signaling for Leo Ash to begin, Himeko took a step back, handing the stage over to him.
And at this moment, Leo Ash made his choice decisively.
He didn't use any persuasive tactics as Himeko had expected. Instead, he took a step forward and...
—hoisted Raven's body right off the hospital bed.
"You damn bitch, you really think I'm gonna negotiate with you slowly."
"You almost got me killed. If you spit out what you know now, I might consider letting you live."
Under Himeko's utterly astonished gaze, Leo Ash, who had grabbed Raven, wrapped his hand around her pale neck.
"Stop fucking sleeping. If you keep playing dead, I'll make sure you die right here."
"To live or to die. Make a choice."
.....