It was called a party, but this welcome celebration wasn't as lively as one might imagine.
After all, while Cocolia was detestable, her death was merely an interlude for everyone.
After clearing the dishes and returning to her dorm room, Mei tossed and turned for several hours, unable to sleep. Suddenly, she heard that voice again.
[Heh, fighting a few low-level Honkai Beasts every day, then coming home to cook and wash dishes. Is this the life you desire?]
[You have no ambition. Wielding the power of a Herrscher, yet doing things that ordinary Valkyries can do—can you even call yourself a Herrscher?]
Listening to this sudden reprimand, Mei remained very calm and paid the voice no mind.
*That's right, I actually think this life is pretty good.*
*What's wrong? What kind of bewitching words are you trying to say this time?*
[You—you spineless waste!]
[Have you forgotten the words you once spoke?!]
*I've said a lot of things.*
[Heh, forget it. I wonder who it was that wanted to become stronger for Leo Ash.]
[Now, you're no longer the only Herrscher in the dorm. Your irreplaceable specialness is gone!]
*Ah, Yuna was originally a Pseudo-Herrscher.*
*Although becoming the Herrscher of Death has increased the burden on her body, she... was a Herrscher in the past. The specialness you speak of never existed in the first place.*
[You—you really consider those fakes to be on the same level as us apostles?]
*You're the only one who cares about such boring things.*
*I'm very satisfied with my life now, and Dad is safe. I—*
[Then let's talk about something you do care about.]
*...What do you mean.*
[It's a wonder you can still laze around so leisurely—your precious little man is about to be snatched away by other women!]
*Huh?*
[Was it because Fu Hua scolded him last time that you think there's nothing between them? They've gone on a date before. After you witnessed that scolding, which was full of concern, you still haven't realized that something is wrong?]
*That... you're overthinking it.*
[Am I overthinking it, or are you underthinking it?]
[I still want to fight that man again to prove that our last battle was just an accident.]
[But now, I have to admit, from a human perspective, that man is indeed very attractive to those around him.]
[Especially now, when you could say that almost half the people in this dorm owe him their lives. Guess how many of them have their eyes on him right now?]
*This... I...*
[Actually, you know it in your heart as clear as day. You know very well that the others more or less have a vague affection for Leo Ash.]
[Oh, wait, that white-haired dumpling is different. She's practically put all her cards on the table.]
[But because of your inner weakness, you keep avoiding these issues that you should be paying attention to.]
*Um, what does this have to do with inner weakness?*
[How does it not? Your heart is too weak, which is why you want to maintain the current state of 'we're all good sisters.']
[But Mei, have you figured it out? You may be holding back, but the others won't—look at that glasses-wearing woman, sneaking into Leo Ash's room at night!]
*I... believe that Class Rep and Leo Ash are innocent.*
[My my, so innocent they end up in a hotel room, is that it?]
*...There's simply no atmosphere like that between them.*
[Heh, the woman with glasses may look prim and proper, but are there not plenty of women in our Far East manga who look proper but are secretly... something else?]
[A proper woman going into a man's room at night in her pajamas? Hehe.]
*I don't remember reading any of those manga. Where on earth are you getting this information???*
[From the mouth of that idiot dumpling, of course—did you really think she's some well-behaved junior?]
[If she weren't living under the same roof as her Great-Auntie right now, she probably would have ended up in Leo Ash's bed on her first day here.]
*...No, I think that's a bit of an exaggeration.*
[Heh, love between a man and a woman, what's so exaggerated about it? It's human nature.]
[Leo Ash is a good man, but a good man is still a man. It is an unavoidable destiny for humans to pursue their nature.]
*Why has the topic suddenly become so serious.*
[Besides, you are far too relaxed right now, so relaxed that you've even forgotten the words Leo Ash once said to you.]
[As a swordsman, if you cannot keep the sword in your heart in its sharpest state at all times, then when you encounter an enemy, you will be unable to make the necessary decisions in time.]
*...How do you remember his words so clearly?*
[Heh, because I think what he said was absolutely right.]
[The you right now is like a swordsman who is already on the battlefield but is still hesitating. The sword in your heart is no longer sharp.]
[Love is war! With such a weak and incompetent mindset, can you snatch Leo Ash from the hands of those other little bitches?!]
Mei wanted to change the subject, but at that moment, hearing the Herrscher of Thunder's question, she suddenly froze.
She wanted to tell herself to just listen to the Herrscher Personality's words and not take them too seriously.
But now, the crucial point was...
—what the Herrscher of Thunder said was so correct.
[See, you know it very well in your heart.]
[Mei, perhaps I was a bit too harsh just now.]
[The sword in your heart hasn't dulled; you've just sheathed it so as not to hurt others.]
[But in this world, just because you don't hurt others doesn't mean others won't hurt you.]
[Think back on all the moments between you and Leo Ash. Do you—do you really want to see him with another woman in his arms in the future?!]
*Of course I don't—wait, what exactly do you mean?*
At this moment, Mei felt that something was off.
Everyone in the dorm got along so well, but after a few provocative words from the Herrscher of Thunder, it felt like everyone was about to draw swords and start fighting with her.
[Ah, what's wrong? Is there any problem with what I said?]
*I almost forgot, a Herrscher is an apostle of the Honkai.*
*You must be saying these things because it's beneficial to the Honkai, right?*
[...Hey! I'm being very serious and helping you analyze the situation here!]
*But that doesn't conflict with my analysis.*
*Our dorm represents the highest level of combat power in the Schicksal branch. If we have internal strife over something, the one who would be happiest is undoubtedly the Honkai.*
[You—you actually doubt my intentions at a time like this.]
*No, perhaps you really are helping me analyze the situation.*
[Mei...]
*You, you might genuinely want to do something for me.*
[You...]
*But Leo Ash told us in private that when the will of the Honkai manipulates others, they might not even be aware of it.*
*Sometimes, a Herrscher manipulated by the will of the Honkai will think, 'I'm doing this because I want to do it.'*
*Like right now, you are genuinely considering things for my sake—but your good intentions are being used by the Honkai!*
[What the f—wake up!]
*The one who needs to wake up is you! I won't let the Honkai succeed!*
*Even for Leo Ash's sake—*
[Oh, so for Leo Ash's sake, you'd rather watch other women Do the Deed with him, is that it?]
[Heh, how noble of you, Miss Mei. Why should a mere puppet of the Honkai like me be so worried?]
[Do as you please. Leo Ash is under house arrest in the dorm for a month. When others get to him first, don't let me see you crying into your pillow.]
[I won't help you then. I'll just laugh at you mercilessly!]
After saying this, Mei found that the Herrscher of Thunder, whose tone was clearly very angry, really didn't say another word.
*Sigh, she's really angry.*
*It's no wonder. She was clearly trying to help me, but...*
*It's not her fault; it's all the Honkai's fault.*
*But...*
After her other self fell silent, Mei felt a deep sense of unease in her heart.
She still felt that the other girls in the dorm were her good sisters.
But to say she didn't care about the progress of Leo Ash's relationships with other women would definitely be a lie.
Even if she suppressed her inner thoughts now, the words of the Herrscher of Thunder had forced her to see some things she had long been aware of but had pretended not to notice.
*Yes, Leo Ash is so outstanding. It's normal for everyone to like him.*
*It's not Leo Ash's fault, nor is it anyone else's fault, but...*
*I like him, and that's not my fault either.*
*He was the one who, when I needed help the most, told me that there was still someone who cared about me.*
*Moreover, if Leo Ash had said some gentle words to me back then, I might have already...*
*But he didn't choose to lure me with those words. Instead, he chose to temper my heart from another angle.*
*There were no such wicked thoughts in his heart, and it's precisely because he is such a pure person that I...*
The more Mei thought about her past with Leo Ash, the more bitter she felt in her heart.
The day she awakened as a Herrscher was, ironically, the period when her relationship with Leo Ash was at its closest.
After arriving at St. Freya High School, the number of girls around Leo Ash increased significantly.
Even setting aside the other students in the academy who had expressed their admiration for Leo Ash but were rejected by him, the other girls in their dorm were, in Mei's eyes, also exceptionally outstanding.
Moreover, after she came to St. Freya High School, that 'specialness' between her and Leo Ash had completely disappeared.
A Herrscher—there were others in the dorm.
A girl on good terms with him—was there anyone in the dorm on bad terms with him?
And, everyone's looks and figures were great. In that respect, I...
The more she thought, the more wronged Mei felt, and suddenly a 'dark' thought emerged from her heart.
*That's right, I did nothing wrong in the first place, so why should I wrong myself for the sake of others?*
She was certain this wasn't the Herrscher of Thunder speaking to her in her heart.
This was, without a doubt, Raiden Mei's own thought.
Driven by this thought, Raiden Mei, as if possessed, stood before her vanity mirror, adjusted her appearance, and then tiptoed to open her room's door.
[Heh, so it came to this after all—her words are tougher than anyone's, but her heart and body are more honest than anyone's.]
Mei wanted to tell her to shut up, but right now... well, she really didn't have the confidence to.
[Alright, I'm not mocking you. For someone with your personality, being able to take this step is already a huge achievement.]
[Mei, ride this momentum—come on, time for action!]
Stan, who had slept for a long time during the day, was a cat, so of course, he couldn't possibly still be asleep.
It was only because he felt overwhelmed by the presence of so many Herrschers that Stan felt he could finally catch his breath after everyone had gone to rest.
Then, he heard a sound.
And this sound... was near the boss's room?!
*Damn it, have Jackal and Gray Serpent really gone mad?*
*The boss can defeat a Herrscher on his own, and you still dare to send people over???*
Then, just as Stan was about to spring into action, he suddenly heard a voice enter his mind.
[Little kitty, be a good boy and don't move, otherwise—I can't guarantee what will happen.]
[That girl finally made up her mind. If some accident happens because of your interference... ahem, you should understand what I mean.]
*A Herr-Herrscher?!*
*Well, that makes sense. Only those Herrschers can emit such a terrifying, superior aura.*
*I've heard Jackal say before that Herrschers can control Honkai Beasts in an area, but...*
*—can they even hold a conversation directly in my mind to threaten me?*
*Damn it, the boss has treated me well. Even if I have to risk my life, I will...!*
Then, Stan suddenly lost his nerve.
*I heard the Herrscher of Thunder was defeated by the boss. So even if the boss faces her, he should be fine, right?*
*And, that little girl, the Herrscher of Thunder, seems very gentle usually, so now...*
*—even if I don't make a move and just watch, the boss should be okay, right?*
With this thought, Stan chose to continue cowering in the corner, trembling.
Then, a few minutes later—*What the hell, another noise!*
*And this oppressive feeling, for a moment it even felt malicious???*
*No, what... what in the world is going on?*
*The girls in this dorm are even scarier than I imagined!*
...
Meanwhile, in Himeko's room.
After the party ended, Himeko, of course, did not go to rest like the others. Instead, she wearily took out her terminal and began to handle some tasks she hadn't finished today.
In fact, it wasn't just Himeko. Except for Leo Ash, who was forcibly put under house arrest by Otto, everyone else had classes to attend and missions to run tomorrow; they didn't have much free time.
Even Stan had become a member of the St. Freya High School patrol team and would probably have to work an early shift tomorrow despite the day-night difference.
As for why St. Freya High School was now exploiting even the labor of cats, to put it bluntly, World Serpent had forced their hand.
Although Cocolia was a constant troublemaker before she died, the foundation of her Anti-Entropy radicals was sorely lacking.
Originally, the resources in the hands of the Anti-Entropy radicals weren't particularly abundant, and then...
Cocolia didn't cherish ME Corp, which she had gotten her hands on, and basically just spent its resources recklessly.
This led to ME Corp's HQ resources being swiped by Schicksal, and after the other branches were taken back by Raiden Ryoma, they had nothing to do with her either.
As for Cocolia's combat forces, the Titans were mostly dismantled by Himeko and Leo Ash in Nagazora City and Jiuyou.
Although the combat power of the Herrscher-level clones was outstanding, Cocolia clearly couldn't pick out many Herrscher clones capable of frontal combat.
Both were enemies with quantum teleportation systems, but her threat level, compared to World Serpent's, was on a completely different level.
World Serpent struck it rich after screwing over Singapore.
Originally, according to the Singaporean leadership's plan, World Serpent would provide them with technology, and they would provide the money. Then, once they had mastered the technology, they would kick World Serpent to the curb.
But the actual situation was that World Serpent took the leaders' money, worked overtime to create a production line, and very honestly placed it in Singapore.
Initially, this result was very satisfactory to the Singaporean leadership.
But during this period, a not-so-small problem occurred—the Fourth Eruption broke out near Singapore.
At that time, after the battle between Leo Ash and the Herrscher of Death, most of the Herrscher-soldier units dispatched by Gray Serpent were actually the soldiers it had promised to hand over to Singapore.
And when the Singaporean leadership felt that something was wrong, Gray Serpent and Jackal directly used the quantum teleportation system to transport away the clone production line and related technology, and for good measure, blew up their clone soldier base with bombs.
Based on Himeko's post-mortem analysis, she felt that after Singapore took this loss, under Schicksal's suppression, the leaders of other nations would likely not dare to openly ally with World Serpent.
Under these circumstances, World Serpent, having hit the jackpot, decided to go all in and simply started playing dead.
In effect, World Serpent had traded its reputation for a short-term gain, and by not leaving their technology to Singapore, the probability of Schicksal acquiring it instantly became zero.
To others, this approach might not be extremely short-sighted, but it was fraught with drawbacks.
After all, if you break your word and screw over an ally before blowing them up, who would dare to join forces with you in the future?
But in the eyes of the Schicksal group who knew about the Stigmata Project, the situation was completely different.
World Serpent's reckless move was clearly aimed at mutual destruction.
For World Serpent, which wanted to 'save' all of humanity with the Stigmata Project, if they really intended to go for mutual destruction, the ones who would suffer would still be Schicksal.
Before Schicksal's researchers could develop a device to counter the quantum teleportation system, World Serpent could arbitrarily attack other branches with its Herrscher soldier units.
Even the S-rank Valkyrie Rita, equipped with Godsbane Armor, was defeated by the Herrscher units. At a time like this, if the enemy decided to make a big move, they could completely rely on this tactic to beat up all of Schicksal's branches.
So now, it wasn't just St. Freya High School; all of Schicksal's branches were on high alert.
Under these circumstances, let alone an Emperor-class combatant like Stan, even ordinary B, C, and D-rank personnel were fully scheduled.
If it weren't for Theresa and Himeko knowing that Siegfried was keeping an eye on the conservative faction of Anti-Entropy, and that they wouldn't take advantage of the situation, the current Schicksal would be equivalent to constantly guarding against two hostile organizations, Anti-Entropy and World Serpent, both capable of airdropping powerful troops from a distance, while also trying to fight the Honkai.
Honestly, in this situation, not only did Himeko, who was responsible for analyzing the battle situation and handling affairs, find it a headache, but even Theresa, who was a semi-hands-off leader, felt her head throb just hearing about it.
As for some deeper matters, Himeko didn't mention them to Theresa.
Otto arranging for Leo Ash to be under house arrest back at the Far East Branch, rather than letting him rest at HQ, was also partly because of Theresa.
Theresa's [Oath of Judah], when its Zeroth Power is activated, injures the user, just like Siegfried's [Judgment of Shamash].
Moreover, a special ability like the Divine Grace Field, which primarily targets the [Honkai], would obviously have a [super effective] effect when used on Theresa, greatly amplifying the damage.
Normally, it had been over twenty days since Theresa used the Divine Grace Field in Jiuyou. Any injuries she had should have healed long ago, or at least not be dragging on uncomfortably until now.
But during this time, because the enemy could attack the branch at any moment, Theresa couldn't just stay in her office reading manga. Most of the time, she was dragging Judah around on patrol.
Otto's arrangement for Leo Ash to return was clearly in the hopes that Leo Ash could help share some of Theresa's burden, allowing her to rest more.
*Sigh, other aspects aside, when it comes to Theresa... he truly values her.*
*Although his mission for Leo Ash certainly didn't include 'daily patrols,' Leo Ash himself is a restless and sentimental person.*
*As long as he asks around a bit about what everyone has been up to lately, he will definitely take the initiative to join the patrols.*
*This is just awful.*
*World Serpent claims they want to save the world with the Stigmata Project, but are the things they are doing now even remotely related to saving the world?*
*Because of their reckless actions, from the time the Oceania Branch was attacked until now, all of Schicksal has had to allocate a larger portion of its forces than usual to constant defense.*
*Under these circumstances, even with a child like Bianka out there resolving Honkai incidents, World Serpent's existence still slows down our pace of fighting the Honkai.*
*Moreover, Bianka didn't have the opportunity to intervene in these recent large-scale Honkai eruptions, but that doesn't mean her high-level combat power isn't important.*
*Leo Ash's growth rate is indeed impressive, but he's not yet strong enough to be 'stronger than Durandal' as the external propaganda claims.*
*In fact, his ability to achieve such outstanding results these past few times is indeed due to his high personal qualities.*
*But on the other hand, his survival also has a lot to do with his good luck.*
*In the end, when it comes to high-stakes battles, the most suitable candidate is still Bianka, not Leo Ash.*
*Under these circumstances, our top-tier combat power is being frantically drained of its strength, while the lower-tier combat power can only be left behind to guard their respective branches.*
*The end result is that when a large-scale Honkai eruption occurs, Bianka may not be in optimal condition to rush to the battlefield and deal with the enemy in time.*
*It's strange. Lord Bishop should have been able to foresee this, but he still allowed Bianka to act as she did.*
*...*
*I actually had the thought, 'Could he be looking forward to the birth of a new Herrscher?'*
*And, if we were to trace back, this is not the first time Lord Bishop has done something like this.*
*Last time, I was almost certain that Lord Bishop sent Yuna to participate in the mission to retrieve the Gem of Serenity, most likely to promote the outbreak of the Herrscher of Death, and at the same time, to screw over Singapore who had jumped out to slap him in the face.*
*And now...*
*I'm such an idiot.*
*This is not a coincidence. Long before Yuna, Wendy had already become a previous victim.*
*Before, I was still suspicious, but now, I can be certain that Lord Bishop is truly trying to create Herrschers.*
*And, of all things, he actually succeeded.*
*Thinking back now...*
*The Second Herrscher, Sirin, was a Herrscher born in Schicksal's Babylon Tower.*
*The Fourth Herrscher, Yuna, was secretly pushed by Lord Bishop to absorb the gem and awaken.*
*And during the same period, the Gem of Desire in Wendy's body was personally ordered to be implanted by Lord Bishop.*
*Even the Third Eruption, which seemingly was caused by Cocolia...*
*Cocolia was the one who pushed Raiden Mei to awaken, that's true.*
*But now, recalling that woman's methods and Lord Bishop's methods, Himeko feels that the two of them are not even in the same league.*
*It could be said that if it weren't for Leo Ash saving the day with the HSN serum, many more people would have died in Nagazora City due to Cocolia's evil deeds.*
*If we consider personal capability, Himeko believes that Lord Bishop definitely had the ability to prevent this from happening at the time.*
*But when the Third Eruption was about to break out, he appeared to be very proactive, yet the final result...*
*He was suppressed by Cocolia... If I were to actually believe that, I'd have gotten my doctorate for nothing.*
*And now, everyone in the dorm...*
*Kiana received the Godsbane Armor from Lord Bishop.*
*Fu Hua has also explained why she was able to defeat the Pseudo-Herrscher—Lord Bishop also happened to have her test a new Godsbane Armor during that time.*
*Leo Ash not only received the Godsbane Armor, but Otto is also frantically building up his reputation.*
*Yuna and Mei, as Herrschers, were personally invited by Lord Bishop to join Schicksal.*
*As for Bronya, Otto once personally promised to spare Cocolia's life for her.*
*Even Cioara's crimes were pardoned by Lord Bishop.*
*In this dorm right now, almost everyone has received some benefit from Lord Bishop.*
*Even Kiana, Mei, Bronya, and Yuna, these four young girls, have a visibly high level of trust in Lord Bishop.*
*This should be the norm, but when combined with my previous analysis, this situation seems even more off.*
*Sigh, the leader of Schicksal is looking forward to one Herrscher awakening after another. If I were to say this out loud, others would definitely think I've gone mad.*
*To be honest, if the Bishop is looking forward to incorporating Herrscher-level combat power into our side, then his methods...*
*...are still extremely problematic.*
*Mei and Yuna were saved by the HSN serum at the first opportunity due to various reasons, but no matter what, their cases cannot be considered normal.*
*A miracle is a miracle. Lord Bishop is gambling with the lives of civilians in other regions on what will happen after a Herrscher awakens.*
*He's truly ruthless.*
*But... even if I've figured this out, I have no way to deal with it.*
*After telling Theresa about that incident last time, I don't know if the Bishop guessed I was the one behind it.*
*But now, if I continue to delve deeper into this matter...*
*Either I've wrongly accused the Bishop, or the Bishop is definitely preparing to kill me.*
*It doesn't matter if I die, but the others must be on guard against these things.*
*But this group of young girls can't even act. Telling them would only expose the secret immediately.*
*And telling Leo Ash about this—whether he would believe me or Otto, who has stood at the pinnacle of Schicksal for five hundred years and given him equipment and high status, I think that's a no-brainer.*
At this moment, Himeko suddenly felt that Rita's current coma might also be related to her suspicions.
Rita's promotion to S-rank wasn't due to terrifying talent and strength like Bianka's.
So, the amount of behind-the-scenes work she might have assisted Lord Bishop with is probably not small.
But because of this, she also knew too much.
Was it because she knew too much and had a bit of a breakdown, or was it...
*—did Lord Bishop sense that something was wrong and proactively put her to sleep?*
Sometimes, Himeko really felt that her level of trust in Lord Bishop might be a bit too low.
He was probably not a good person.
But according to my speculation, he's not just not a good person; he's practically a spy on the side of the Honkai.
Looking forward to large-scale Honkai eruptions and Herrscher awakenings, and willing to sacrifice the lives of others to achieve it—this is truly not the attitude a human leader should have when facing the Honkai and Herrschers.
Even if I realize this now, that old man's vision is broader than mine, and his intelligence is more detailed. Even if I have the intention to stop his atrocities, I lack the strength to carry out these ideas.
*This is tough...*
*—but even if it's tough, it must be done.*
*Damn it, it's fine if I'm wrong, but if Lord Bishop really is this kind of beast, and we are all his pawns, then continuing to let him act will only lead humanity into a ditch.*
*I have to find a way to properly investigate some things. If this is true, I need to make preparations in advance.*
Just as Himeko was worrying about these things, she suddenly heard almost inaudible footsteps coming from outside her door.
*Hmm, that sound...*
*Footsteps from near Mei's room, and then—heading towards Leo Ash's room?*
*Um, although Theresa founded this academy in the hopes that Valkyries wouldn't be treated like tools...*
*But... sigh, it's normal for children to have their first crush at this age.*
*It's late at night. Besides me, everyone else should be asleep.*
*So Mei, this time...*
*—what are you planning to do to Leo Ash?*
*Everyone is indeed asleep, but if you two make a big commotion, then everyone will wake up.*
Himeko wanted her students to live every day happily, it's true, but if this hot commodity Leo Ash was snatched up in the middle of the night, the situation would become rather tricky.
But now, if I go out, that shy girl Mei, upon discovering that her actions have been seen, who knows what embarrassing things she might do.
For this reason, Himeko ultimately chose to stay put.
And then...
*—Ah, there's another expert?*
Two minutes later, Himeko heard the door to Kiana's room also being gently opened.
*You two, how can you both be so unable to restrain your hearts?*
*And of all times, in the middle of the night!*
*And on the same day!*
*If you two had just staggered your timing by an hour, it would have been fine, but coming together—*
*Damn it, I'm not getting involved anymore.*
*Let them do whatever they want. If this place blows up, it's a good excuse for me to get a new home.*
*Theresa, this whole mess is your kid's fault, so when the time comes—you're the one who has to pay for my new house!*
...