Regarding the static she was now hearing, Fu Hua could only chalk it up to exhaustion.
Granted, hearing voices in her head that shouldn't be there could be a sign of awakening as a Herrscher.
But Fu Hua felt that if the Honkai were to choose someone to become a Herrscher, it certainly wouldn't choose someone like her, who was difficult to control.
Those who become Herrschers must first have a tragic past, and only after falling into despair do they become demons of destruction at the mercy of the Honkai.
And while Fu Hua didn't think she was particularly strong, she still believed that she wouldn't be so easily controlled by the Honkai.
Under these circumstances, if the Honkai gave her a Herrscher Core, it would, in a sense, be aiding the enemy.
However, seeing Fu Hua's dazed state, a bad premonition suddenly arose in Leo Ash's mind.
As someone who often zoned out in front of others and was misunderstood as 'you're not listening to me at all,' Leo Ash was all too familiar with Fu Hua's trance-like state.
When he conversed with the System, although his thinking and processing speeds were fast, his mind would still wander to some extent.
And Fu Hua's current state clearly matched his usual state when he was bickering with the System.
Furthermore, Fu Hua herself was designated in the story as the Herrscher of Sentience's Host.
*Son of a bitch, I haven't even rescued Wendy yet, and now my own backyard is about to catch fire???*
[Don't panic. The System can guarantee that the next one will definitely not be the Herrscher of Sentience.]
*Oh, that's great... my ass!*
*That sentence isn't reassuring at all! (╯‵□′)╯︵┻━┻*
[What else can be done? The System can only give you limited reminders about certain things. It's not like I can use future sight to see the future and give you a walkthrough.]
[Besides, the variables surrounding an otherworldly visitor like you are too ridiculous. The future I see one second might be useless the next.]
[My assessment is, don't overthink it. What's coming will come—but having a symptom doesn't mean it will break out immediately.]
[After all, even cancer is divided into early, middle, and late stages, isn't it?]
*That's not comforting at all.*
[Well, the System isn't here to comfort you.]
[Every time you see a spark on the prairie, you immediately imagine a wildfire and start putting yourself through the wringer to solve the problem.]
[Your ability to self-regulate is so strong, you don't need the System's help to adjust your state at all.]
*Well, thanks for thinking so highly of me.*
"Leo Ash."
At that moment, seeing Leo Ash's consciousness begin to drift, Fu Hua, who had snapped out of it a step ahead of him, let out a completely helpless sigh.
"How much of what I said a week ago did you actually take in?"
Seeing Leo Ash suddenly show a startled expression, Fu Hua felt a little upset.
*This guy, how is he still spacing out!*
*I suspect he really did let my previous words go in one ear and out the other, not hearing a single sentence.*
"Every word, of course."
At that moment, Leo Ash, sitting on the sofa, suddenly closed his eyes and let his body completely relax.
"Do you need me to recite it all, Class Rep Fu Hua?"
"No need."
Seeing Leo Ash's completely relaxed body, Fu Hua, who had calmed down, could only say to him helplessly.
"I know this was an emergency, but couldn't you have waited for reinforcements?"
"If Yuno's will hadn't been strong enough, by the time Durandal arrived at the scene, you might have already..."
"Ah, let me just say something."
Listening to the helplessness and anger in Fu Hua's words, Leo Ash emphasized very seriously.
"I'm afraid of dying. Very afraid. Extremely afraid."
"I simply judged that Yuno coming into contact with the Herrscher Core could lead to more severe consequences and, at the same time, pose a more serious threat to my life."
"Those are my true feelings."
Theoretically, there didn't seem to be anything wrong with Leo Ash's words.
If he could have prevented Yuno from touching the Gem of Serenity and stopped the outbreak of the Fourth Eruption, then many problems would have been solved.
But while the potential payoff for success was huge, Fu Hua couldn't ignore one thing.
Winning this gamble would be a massive gain, but if he lost, Leo Ash would very likely be the first to die.
Is betting your own life on something like this what a person who's afraid of death would do?
*He's been pretending to be afraid of death so as not to worry everyone.*
*The problem is—could you at least be a little more serious when you're pretending!*
"Hmm, so that's how it is."
Listening to Leo Ash's explanation, Fu Hua nodded slightly, a strange smile spreading across her face.
"You knew Anti-Entropy personnel were in Nagazora City, yet you still applied for a mission there."
"You knew how terrifying the Herrscher of Thunder was, yet you still rushed towards Mei."
"You knew what a ferocious beast Chiyou was, yet you still charged forward to kill it."
"You knew that if the Fourth Eruption broke out, you would most likely be the first to die, yet you still chose to help Yuno."
"What a person truly thinks isn't determined by what he says, but by what he does."
"So now, I have a question—Leo Ash, in your eyes, are we a bunch of gullible fools?"
Faced with Fu Hua's question, Leo Ash really wanted to say—yes, that's exactly it.
*Dammit, I'm telling the truth!*
*Except for the Nagazora situation where I had no choice, with Mei, if I didn't check the situation and seize the opportunity to land a finishing blow, I'd be the first to die when the Herrscher of Thunder caught up to me.*
*Siegfried was still online at the time. Anyone would know the right answer to 'should I strike when the enemy has just been heavily wounded by an ally, or at some other time.'*
*The latter two incidents are even more ridiculous.*
*Danger was right in front of me. Of course I'd try to deal with the crisis instead of being dealt with by it!*
*I would have died if I didn't handle those things—where the hell did this huge misunderstanding come from?*
In the past, Leo Ash occasionally had to play the part of the Avenger.
Now, he couldn't be bothered to act anymore, but everyone thought his current self was the act.
What kind of black comedy was this?
Seeing the now-silent Leo Ash, Fu Hua naturally assumed that he had been rendered speechless by her arguments.
Perhaps Leo Ash had better eloquence than her, but in the face of facts, his rhetoric was useless.
"Let's not talk about this anymore."
*Hmph, now he's using such a blunt method to change the subject.*
"I have a question—where is everyone else?"
*Fine, fine.*
*I've said what I needed to say. From now on, aside from working harder, there's nothing else I can do.*
"Ah, I'm here."
Upon hearing her name mentioned outside, Cioara, who had been slacking off in the dorm, appeared before Leo Ash at top speed.
"Leo, you were looking for me?"
Seeing Raven's incredibly cooperative attitude, Leo Ash finally understood what it meant to be a person who adapts to the circumstances.
Raven was truly embodying the phrase 'if you can't beat them, join them' in her every move.
This seemingly ordinary, yet proactively submissive attitude.
Plus the straps she was intentionally-or-unintentionally revealing—ah, what was she doing?
[Hehehe, do you even need to ask?]
[You hold the power of life and death over her, so she will definitely do everything in her power to please you.]
[Compared to things like giving intel or helping in a fight, becoming your bedmate is clearly another path in her eyes.]
*...As expected of this world's king of mercenaries. The mercenary traits of 'unscrupulous' and 'everything for myself' are truly embodied in her.*
*But I'm curious, if that's what she's thinking, then...*
[Oh, the profile template, right.]
[Name: Natasha Cioara]
[Identity: King of North American Mercenaries, former World Serpent Executive.]
[Current Affection: 5.]
[Note: Of course she has no goodwill towards you for ruining her current life, but she has no choice but to obey you. Don't overthink it.]
*That's so realistic.*
*Aside from Yuno in Herrscher mode who has had a negative affection score, her score is the lowest of everyone.*
[Oh, by the way, four of those five points are because of your Handsome face from the Cold, Handsome Man bonus.]
*So her actual affection is only 1???*
[I'd say it's a miracle it's even 1.]
[Hehehe, right now, as long as you have the thought, or even show an inclination, she will definitely serve you with 120% effort in order to survive.]
*Um, I remember saying this just last week.*
*Did you forget that the Kaslana family's intuition is terrifying?*
*Kaslana intuition, combined with Kiana's current affection for me, if I mess around, Sirin will manifest right in front of me.*
*Sirin would kill me first. Are you really that eager for me to die?*
[Come on, you don't actually know. Her tolerance is much higher than you imagine.]
*Not taking that bet.*
*Don't ask, the answer is no.*
"Commander Ash, actually, I've already told you everything I'm supposed to say."
Feeling daggers in her back, Cioara was starting to regret her choice of outfit for the day.
She did have that idea in mind, but she hadn't yet made up her mind to act on it.
And now, she completely regretted it.
After she appeared before Leo Ash in this outfit that revealed a little too much, Fu Hua, behind her, had been staring at her with a less-than-friendly gaze.
Because Leo Ash's killing intent towards the Honkai and World Serpent was so strong, Raven, who was always trying to get on his good side, would often subconsciously ignore one thing.
Fu Hua also held her detonation switch.
Now, Cioara didn't dare to entertain such thoughts anymore.
*Dammit, this Previous Era warrior has lived for fifty thousand years, why is she still such a jealous—*
*Okay, Leo Ash is indeed very handsome.*
*But this is still so ridiculous!*
*That glare is really scary!*
"Oh, I believe you—but I still hope you'll tell me the World Serpent base addresses you know one more time."
Completely oblivious to the sudden change in Fu Hua's eyes, Leo Ash smiled at Cioara.
"That shouldn't be too difficult, right?"
"Of course, of course!"
*And this Leo Ash is completely impervious!*
*He definitely noticed my outfit, but showed no intention in that direction at all!*
*Damn it, in my attempt to survive, have I put myself in a dead end instead?*
*Moreover, Leo Ash has already been promoted to S-rank Knight. He should have the authority to see the intelligence I submitted to Schicksal HQ.*
*Yet he's still asking me, which means Otto Apocalypse is actually holding back intelligence from him?*
*That shouldn't be. Isn't Leo Ash one of Otto's strongest fighters?*
*Something feels off. The network of relationships here at Schicksal is much more complicated than I thought.*
At that moment, Raven, who was rapidly writing on a piece of paper, truly regretted her decisions.
*I'm such a fool.*
*I never should have gone back after leaving World Serpent.*
*Making coffee during the day, carrying out assassinations at night—even if I didn't earn much, it would have been much better than being caught up in this miserable situation.*
World Serpent had a ton of dangerous missions.
Here at Schicksal, I don't have the chance to go on missions, but while there are no dangerous missions for me, the place is full of dangerous people!
After writing down the addresses, Raven immediately adjusted her expression, not daring to show any extra emotion or make any unnecessary movements.
And behind Raven, Fu Hua, watching Leo Ash put away the paper, felt her blood pressure rise a little more.
"I say, Leo Ash... won't you consider taking a break?"
"Huh? This mission isn't troublesome at all. You could even call it a vacation."
Seeing the vein pop on Fu Hua's forehead, Leo Ash suddenly laughed happily.
"Investigation missions don't require fighting. Ah, I can finally slack off happily."
Although Leo Ash's smile seemed so genuine, Fu Hua just felt that—his words were completely insincere.
"Brother Leo, if possible, Bronya hopes you won't undertake this mission with such an attitude."
Having heard the commotion outside, Bronya, who had already packed her luggage, slid out of her room on her electric suitcase.
"You are now Schicksal's strongest warrior. In other words, you are the person most likely to be targeted, aside from Lord Bishop Otto."
"Bronya doesn't know what happened when you met with Big Sister Yuno, but Bronya is certain—you do not have the power to defeat a Herrscher."
"And normally, if you're not wearing the [Zero Knight: Moonshade], your defenses are greatly reduced. If you were to encounter an assassination squad at such a time..."
Thinking about certain sons of bitches who caused Honkai, created Honkai, were preparing to create Honkai, and would commit massacres in the future, Leo Ash's smile faded.
"In any case, I am now one of Schicksal's strongest public-facing assets."
"Whoever comes after me is a running dog of the Honkai—and I will show no mercy to the Honkai's running dogs."
"If someone tries to mess with me while I'm on vacation, I don't mind killing them on the spot."
Hearing Leo Ash's murderous words, Bronya became genuinely anxious.
She didn't believe Leo Ash was going on vacation.
But she did believe that he would genuinely kill anyone who messed with him at this time.
At the same time, Bronya was even more convinced that her long-unseen mother would absolutely not just stay quiet and do nothing.
In the past, Bronya had cut off contact with Cocolia because she was worried Schicksal would trace the signals she sent and find Cocolia.
But now, when she was desperately trying to call Cocolia with her brain chip, she found that Cocolia had started rejecting her communication requests.
Awkward. Very awkward.
The situation was extremely bad.
Big Sister Mei was gradually mastering the power of a Herrscher, and her voice would carry more weight in the future.
Big Sister Yuno had already obtained a new Herrscher Core. With her effort, she too would gain a greater say in the future.
And Brother Leo's progress was terrifyingly fast.
Although Bronya didn't think he could actually defeat a Herrscher single-handedly, he could at least hold his own against one.
And the three people mentioned above all had a grudge against her mother.
If Bronya didn't stop her mother and make her face reality...
—Her mother, who continued to court death, would only have an increasingly higher chance of dying!
And yet, at a time like this, she refused Bronya's attempts to contact her—did she even realize the severity of the situation!
Moreover, Brother Leo was taking Bronya on a long trip this time...
*Sigh, knowing mother's habits, she'll definitely think that Brother Leo and I traveling together is a good opportunity to take action.*
*Mother, you absolutely must not appear before Brother Leo.*
*Although Brother Leo told Bronya how to solve the problem, that doesn't mean he has forgiven you.*
*If you appear before us...*
*—Brother Leo will definitely try to kill you on sight.*
...
World Serpent Base
Inside the World Serpent base, Gray Serpent glanced at the two little girls who had just completed their surgery and nodded slightly.
"Very good, Jackal. Your skills in this area are as outstanding as ever."
"Hah, more than my skills, it's the constitution of these two brats that I find truly terrifying."
Looking at the two children whose bodies she had modified and whose minds she had controlled with brain chips, Jackal no longer dared to boast in the slightest.
In the past, when things were going well, Jackal would have a bit of an arrogant streak.
But now, World Serpent had, for certain reasons, entered an absolutely disadvantageous situation.
At a time like this, she didn't dare to have any arrogant thoughts, and could only focus on completing each of her tasks to the best of her ability.
"After their bodies were modified, they showed very few signs of rejection. Instead, they quickly accepted the Emperor-class Honkai Beast factors."
"But at the same time, after the brain chips were implanted, they occasionally show signs of breaking free from the chip's control... To be honest, I can't fix that."
"No matter. You've already done very well."
Although Gray Serpent was not satisfied with this result, the current Gray Serpent would definitely not continue to badmouth Jackal.
With Hare still indisposed, only the Gray Serpents and Jackal were left to handle high-level affairs in World Serpent.
Now that Jackal had completely shed her old bad habits in the face of a great enemy, Gray Serpent certainly wouldn't resort to high-pressure tactics.
The more dire the situation, Gray Serpent felt, the more he needed to encourage his comrades.
Otherwise, if Jackal's morale also collapsed one day, then there would be no one left to help him with the Stigmata Project.
"Using weapons has always come with a certain amount of risk. Even the clone soldiers we create aren't all that effective."
After saying this, Gray Serpent suddenly let out an unsettling laugh.
"Besides, I have already initiated a backup plan."
"A backup plan?"
Upon hearing these four words, Jackal subconsciously asked a question that made Gray Serpent extremely awkward.
"Um, to continue with other projects..."
"Does the organization really have enough funds?"
"...That probably won't be a problem."
Remembering some troublesome matters, Gray Serpent could only ignore Jackal's question for now and continue.
"Over in Singapore, we used their funds not only to create a batch of Herrscher Clones but also to complete some biotechnology tests."
"It is because of this that I am confident in creating *that* thing."
"Jackal, you'll have to hold the fort for a while—trust me, the light of victory is just ahead!"
"Huh? Oh, okay, I understand."
*Okay, actually, I have no idea why Gray Serpent is so confident this time.*
*But whatever, Gray Serpent is generally more reliable than me. Since he has a plan, then...*
"What? You're saying Leo Ash just returned to the Far East Branch two hours ago, and he's already left again?"
In the next instant, Jackal heard Gray Serpent shout frantically into the communicator.
"Where... where is he going this time?"
"What? London?????"
After hearing Gray Serpent's utterly shocked roar, Jackal also screamed.
"What? London?????"
In that moment, the two of them looked at each other, completely dumbfounded.
Unlike Raven, who had left the organization and then rejoined, the two of them, who were fiercely loyal to the organization, knew.
The location of the Second Divine Key, [Thousand Worlds], was above the Thames River in the city of London.
And based on the principle of 'wherever Leo Ash goes, trouble is sure to follow,' Jackal felt it was normal for Gray Serpent to panic.
She was even more panicked than Gray Serpent right now.
"Did... did that brat sense something?"
"Impossible."
Gray Serpent, having calmed down, muttered to himself as if trying to reassure himself.
"If the Second Divine Key were discovered, it wouldn't be Leo Ash coming, but Otto's main forces."
"Don't panic. Yes, right, don't panic."
"The Thousand Worlds above the Thames River requires very complex survey methods to find."
"No matter how ridiculous Leo Ash is, there's no way he could find that thing."
*Yes, that's right.*
*I can't scare myself.*
*He has ridiculous strength and growth speed, but that's all there is to him.*
*From a luck perspective, a person who successively encounters the Third Eruption, Chiyou's rampage, and the Fourth Eruption should be an unlucky person.*
*How could an unlucky person find the location of the Key of the Void through luck?*
*At a time like this, we must not act rashly.*
*If we make a move over there, Leo Ash and Schicksal will notice something is wrong.*
*We must remain still.*
*And then, we'll use the assets our World Serpent has left in London to lure Leo Ash into thinking in the wrong direction.*
*Time.*
*Damn it, at this point, what we lack most is time.*
It takes time to remove the gem from Wendy's body.
It takes time to train the combat capabilities of these twins.
It takes time to create a new clone army.
It takes time to complete the layout for the Stigmata Project.
And now, just by taking action, Leo Ash is starting to delay our efforts to save the world.
*Damn it, wait, that's not right.*
*He has two Herrschers gathered around him. If the Honkai realized that the Stigmata Project would threaten it, then many things would make sense.*
Leo Ash stopped the Third and Fourth Eruptions, seemingly standing against the Honkai.
But as someone who has survived for fifty thousand years, I know very well that without a sufficient plan or strength, before the Finality arrives, there's little difference between a few more people living or dying.
Leo Ash seemingly saved two cities, but in reality, he's not standing against the Honkai, but against us, World Serpent.
Even his act of defeating Chiyou actually led to Cioara being captured by Schicksal, exposing the connection between World Serpent and Shincheng Pharmaceutical, delaying Jackal's and my plans, and causing us to lose some test sites.
The Gem of Conquest and the Gem of Serenity were Herrscher Cores we had a high probability of obtaining.
The more he acts, the more severely the layout of the Stigmata Project is destroyed.
And by defeating two Herrschers, Leo Ash prevented the Conquest and Serenity cores from becoming Herrscher Cores that could save Lord Kevin.
This is equivalent to delaying the Lord's entry into the game.
This action is also 'beneficial to the Honkai.'
I see it now.
I completely see it now.
Leo Ash is not some false savior who fights the Honkai and saves the world.
His essence...
—is that of a villain assisting the Honkai to obstruct World Serpent's salvation of the world!
Even now, his significant increase in strength can be explained.
Those chosen by the will of the Honkai will receive a corresponding blessing.
And Herrschers are the strongest among this group.
If Leo Ash himself is a Herrscher, then many things can be perfectly connected.
The power to defeat a Herrscher could be the Herrscher's true self...
After connecting all the information, Gray Serpent suddenly had a conjecture that was absurd yet held a certain degree of reason.
This era's Herrscher of Binding...
—she isn't descending this soon, is she?
..