One month later.
Shenzhou.
The Human Contract Alliance's Shenzhou councilor, Situ Qinghong, secretly received Otto and Prometheus.
Inside the conference room.
Situ Qinghong narrowed his eyes, a cold glint flashing within them. "Otto, you actually dare to appear before me?"
"What is there to fear?" Otto crossed his arms, his expression confident. "I have never feared death."
"Hmph. All talk." Situ Qinghong let out a cold snort, a sharp aura radiating from him. "This is no longer the world you once controlled through Schicksal."
Otto spread his hands slightly, a self-assured smile on his face. "The world is changing. So am I. Everything so far remains within our—hm, rather, within the plan."
"Your plan?" Situ Qinghong's gaze sharpened, his tone laced with mockery. "You mean that ridiculous plan to cultivate humanity's greatest enemy and let them replace mankind? You're nothing but a troupe of clowns."
Otto replied calmly, "The Immortal of Mount Taixu supports the God Creation Project as well."
Situ Qinghong's pupils contracted, his expression turning grave. "Impossible. The Immortal of Mount Taixu would never support your plan!"
"Is this how Shenzhou receives guests now? Not even a cup of tea?" Otto smiled faintly. "Or perhaps you do not consider me a guest."
"Serve tea."
Situ Qinghong frowned and instructed the black-haired woman beside him.
Before the massive Honkai Eruption in Nagazora, the Immortal of Mount Taixu had returned once, saying that he would not intervene in the coming catastrophe.
Situ Qinghong had known Cheng Lixue and had met the Immortal before. But the Immortal who returned that day was different from before.
In those deep eyes lay wisdom and desolation tempered by countless years, as though he had seen through all things in this world.
It was difficult to imagine that the Immortal who had protected Shenzhou for thousands of years, fighting against the Honkai, would stand on the Honkai's side alongside Otto.
But if Schicksal, Anti-Entropy, and World Serpent had all turned to the Honkai's side, then the Immortal must have encountered something that changed him as well.
The black-haired woman poured tea for Otto and Prometheus.
"I don't drink tea. Thank you," Prometheus said.
Situ Qinghong looked at Prometheus, whose exposed joints were mechanical. "And you are?"
"I am Prometheus, a cadre of World Serpent."
Situ Qinghong nodded. "Situ Qinghong. Speak. What do you want from me?"
Otto's gaze carried a hint of scrutiny. His tone remained even. "By what method did you lure that child, Wendy? We have observed her entering and leaving your Taixu Laboratory multiple times."
"I don't know what you're talking about."
Situ Qinghong feigned ignorance.
"It does not matter if you claim ignorance." Otto stood up slowly. "Out of respect for the Immortal of Mount Taixu, allow me to offer a reminder. Whatever you intend to do, be careful. If you touch something you should not, death will not be an easy escape."
"Hmph. Anyone can make threats." Situ Qinghong's gaze was sharp, showing no fear.
"This is neither a threat nor empty talk. It is merely a reminder." Otto adjusted his coat. "We will leave that child in your care for now. In return, we will restore Arc City."
With that, Otto and Prometheus walked toward the door.
The two soldiers guarding the entrance—who had remained on full alert—glanced at Situ Qinghong. He shook his head slightly.
Otto and Prometheus departed Shenzhou without obstruction.
One day later.
Arc City, which had been devastated by Wendy, the Herrscher of Wind, was restored to its former state.
Although the reset device could restore only one city at a time, it was capable of recording and storing an enormous number of regions.
The restoration of Arc City in Shenzhou made others realize that the device held by Schicksal, Anti-Entropy, and World Serpent—the one capable of restoring cities and resurrecting the dead—was not a single-use item.
In other words, as long as they could obtain that device, they could restore their own nations.
Once people knew everything could be reset, the already fractured hearts of nations—each harboring its own hidden agendas—splintered even further.
Merlin Cavendish felt helpless. The Human Contract Alliance had finally overthrown Schicksal, yet they still could not outmaneuver Otto.
Holding intelligence obtained from spies, she muttered to herself, "I see. He's exploiting the emotions of the Herrschers… Hmph. So the only difference between a Herrscher and a human is that a Herrscher possesses greater power?"
Viewed that way, Otto's God Creation Project seemed highly feasible.
Previously, Merlin Cavendish had believed Herrschers to be emotionless humanoid natural disasters created by the Honkai—mere killing machines meant to destroy human civilization.
Now it seemed…
Just as Otto had said.
An evolution.
A higher species evolved from humanity.
The only issue was that each such evolved individual required vast quantities of Honkai energy.
And the emergence of vast Honkai energy inevitably meant mass human death.
Humanity would never accept such powerful yet dangerous lifeforms.
They would do everything in their power to eliminate the Herrschers.
And once a Herrscher was eliminated, the trial would fail. Everything would reset.
"Theresa… Bronya…"
Merlin Cavendish fell into deep thought.
Chiba Academy.
Inside a classroom.
Angelia Schariac stared blankly at an empty seat.
All her life, she had been taught that Herrschers were humanity's enemies. As a member of the Schariac family, she was meant to save humanity and fight the Honkai.
Now everything had changed.
A month ago, the conversation between Bishop Otto and her cousin had left a deep impression on her.
Herrschers are not chess pieces. They are the leaders of this world. You should be the players—not the pieces.
You may do whatever you wish.
The resources of Schicksal, Anti-Entropy, and World Serpent are yours to use freely.
Only you can guide civilization forward.
Herrschers are the saviors of this world—and its rulers.
A civilized social structure flows from top to bottom, ruled by a sovereign over subjects. That is only natural.
And you, my dear Kiana, may one day become the greatest leader and the most powerful being in this world's history. I believe you have that potential.
…
Otto's words had shattered Angelia Schariac's worldview.
If Herrschers were saviors, then what was the meaning of the Schariac family? What was the meaning of the Saintesses who sacrificed themselves generation after generation to protect humanity?
Among the five Herrschers who appeared this time, two were connected to the Schariac family.
One was her sister—Ana Schariac.
The other was her cousin Kiana Kaslana, of mixed Kaslana and Schariac blood.
And she herself was still the same useless good-for-nothing.
Raven walked into the classroom and clapped her hands. After drawing everyone's attention, she said, "Gather outside."
The students assembled in the plaza. Raven stood at the front. "Next, we'll be heading to another world."
"Ms. Raven, is this other world a parallel world?" Herrscher of Fire Kiana asked curiously.
After a month, she had gradually adapted to her identity as a Herrscher.
From being humanity's enemy, the Herrscher had been described by Otto as humanity's evolution. With Raiden Mei, her fellow Herrscher and close friend, by her side, the sense of being a lone monster—an outcast—had faded considerably.
The way others looked at her had also changed, shifting from fear to envy.
"It's not a parallel world," Raven replied, her gaze sweeping across Herrscher of Fire Kiana, Bronya, Raiden Mei, Seele, Ana, Wendy, and the others. "It's a world outside our Honkai world. Of course, you may encounter parallel counterparts of people from your own world."
A floating battleship descended into the plaza. Everyone boarded.
The battleship slowly rose into the sky.
The passage above Nagazora opened.
Through the windows, they gazed at the dazzling tunnel beyond, their hearts filled with both nervousness and excitement.
Soon, the battleship passed through the passage and arrived in an unknown star system of another world.
In the next instant, a white flash appeared nearby. A humanoid mech larger than the neighboring planet leapt into view.
Inside the battleship, everyone was stunned.
What an enormous mech!
Before they could recover from their shock, a young girl in a white robe appeared before them. She exuded an air of pure innocence.
"Hello, everyone! Nice to meet you for the first time. My name is Vita. I'm a lively and straightforward girl~"
Vita gestured animatedly with both hands, a bright smile on her face, her voice cheerful and energetic.
"Hm? Why is it you?" Vita rested her chin on one hand, tilting her head with a puzzled look. "This feeling…!"
She leaned forward, carefully studying Herrscher of Fire Kiana.
"What is it? Do you know me?" Herrscher of Fire Kiana asked.
"Heehee, now I do~" Vita clasped her hands behind her back, smiling radiantly at her. "I know several girls who look extremely similar to you!"
"Huh? My counterpart?! Am I that famous over there?"
Herrscher of Fire Kiana understood what a counterpart was.
"… "
Bronya silently watched Vita perform.
"With that face of yours, of course you're famous. Those who don't recognize you are in the minority where I'm from." Vita's eyes sparkled mischievously. "Welcome to my world, everyone."
Seeing Vita's attitude toward Herrscher of Fire Kiana, Raven felt much more at ease. The Herrschers under the Will of Ruler in other worlds they had met before would barely acknowledge humans, dismissing them outright.
Vita warmly led them toward the planet she governed.
Along the way, Herrscher of Fire Kiana and the others looked around curiously. The architecture here was unique—full of advanced technology yet retaining a natural elegance.
Angelia Schariac quietly followed at the back of the group, listening to the conversations ahead.
With her mind-reading ability, Vita noticed the girl who longed to be valued—to be needed.
"Vita, what's that glowing thing?"
"An artificial sun. This planet is far from its star, so we use an artificial one to increase light and temperature."
"It looks delicious."
"You're free to eat the food here."
"Really?"
"Of course. It's just ordinary food. It can be converted from energy—there's as much as you want. I'll show you."
"That's amazing."
…
After taking Herrscher of Fire Kiana and the others on a tour filled with food, fun, and sightseeing, Vita arranged accommodations for them to rest.
That night, Angelia Schariac stepped outside alone, gazing at the unfamiliar starry sky in silence.
Vita quietly appeared behind her. "You seem to have a lot on your mind."
Angelia jumped in surprise. "Y-Why are you looking for me?"
Vita gently took her hand. "I like chatting and having fun with everyone. If you have any worries—or even something interesting—you can share it with me."
After a moment of hesitation, Angelia spoke slowly. "I always believed Herrschers were humanity's enemies. But now everything has changed. I don't know what I'm supposed to do."
In the past, she had dreamed of becoming a Saintess like Cecilia—fighting the Honkai and saving humanity.
She believed becoming a Saintess was the meaning of her existence.
Now, Bishop Otto had suddenly declared that humanity had been mistaken.
That Herrschers were humanity's saviors.
She felt completely lost.
And yet, whether Saintess of Schariac or Herrscher—it seemed neither had anything to do with her.
"Herrschers are enemies?" Vita placed a finger thoughtfully against her chin and tilted her head slightly. "It's only natural that you would see them that way. In other worlds, humans often misunderstand me as an enemy too."
Angelia looked up at her. "Why?"
"Because I want to make the world better. So I clear away those vile, filthy pests." Vita puffed her cheeks slightly, revealing a cute expression. "You can understand that, right?"
Angelia looked confused. "By pests… you mean humans?"
"Come. Let me show you a world after the pests have been cleared away."
Vita took Angelia to other worlds.
From a god's-eye perspective, she saw an ideal world—peaceful, harmonious, happy, and beautiful.
"This is what this world looks like now."
Then Vita revealed what it had once been: war, famine, natural disasters. Years of great hunger where people devoured one another. Behind vermilion gates, wine and meat rotted; on the roads lay frozen corpses.
The scenes struck Angelia's soul like thunder.
"The pests I speak of are not all humans," Vita said softly. "Only a portion of them. Don't their actions resemble pests?"
"…Yes."
Angelia nodded.
Under Vita's subtle persuasion, the golden-haired girl gradually fell.
She found herself agreeing more and more with Vita's words.
In the days that followed, Vita acted as their guide, leading the group from the Honkai world across various planets of the Milky Way—piloting space battleships, mechs, experiencing all kinds of advanced technology.
By the day of their departure, everyone was still immersed in the dreamlike beauty of their recent life.
Raven sought Vita out privately and asked tentatively, "Miss Vita, is there a way for us to return without… dying first?"
"You don't need to worry about that." Vita placed her right hand over her chest, a gentle smile on her face. "As your friend and guide, I will send you back."
"That's a relief."
Raven let out a breath she had been holding. At least they would not have to die together to return.
With Herrscher of Fire Kiana present, the Herrschers under the Will of Ruler treated them entirely differently.
The ones they had met before would only say: Humans. Why are you here? Go back where you came from. Don't bother me.