Vya was bored. Since little sister Griseo had gone to sleep, Vya couldn't find anyone to play with.
The base was unusually quiet. The usual sounds of footsteps and conversations that could always be heard had completely vanished.
Not long ago, she had seen brother Kevin and sister Elysia hurrying towards the conference room, their faces wearing a rare, serious expression.
"Herrscher... the fourth one..."
Vya repeated the fragments of conversation she had just overheard, tilting her head in thought for a moment. She still didn't quite understand what it meant.
She only vaguely remembered hearing that term before, and it seemed to be connected to something bad.
Oh, she remembered that thing called a Herrscher Core wasn't very tasty…
Sigh, so boring. Should she go find sister Mobius?
Well, why not.
It wasn't like sister Mobius ever really came out, anyway?
Even sister Elysia mentioned it often.
The empty base still felt a bit unsettling.
Having lived here for so long, Vya was very familiar with the way.
"Sister Mobius!"
"You're here?"
Mobius's long green hair cascaded loosely over her shoulders, a black bodysuit visible beneath her white lab coat.
She seemed more relaxed than usual, a faint, almost imperceptible smile playing on her lips.
It was as if Mobius had been waiting for her.
"Mm, Vya's here!"
Klein continued working diligently, unaware of Vya's arrival, and Vya, of course, didn't disturb her.
Vya skillfully climbed onto the high stool next to Mobius.
Swinging her legs, Vya asked, "Why is Sister Mobius still here? The others all went to a meeting."
"Hmm, I don't need to go."
Mobius said unhurriedly. Perhaps she was only "invited" on certain occasions.
Vya nodded, not fully understanding, resting her chin on the back of the chair. "Oh, I see…"
Mobius now seemed rather intrigued, as it was rare to see Vya so listless.
"What's the matter?"
Vya lifted her head, her pale purple eyes reflecting the cold light of the lab. "Vya doesn't know…"
Mobius watched her. The appearance of the fourth Herrscher outside—she naturally knew about it as soon as anyone. Perhaps it was related to that?
By the numbers, Vya had been connected to three cores.
Perhaps the birth of this fourth Herrscher was affecting her, one way or another?
The little girl before her continued, "...Vya doesn't know what to do."
Vya didn't understand what was happening either.
She hadn't dreamed in a long time, and the contents of those dreams had faded somewhat.
But she remembered "Learning," "Observing," and "Protecting."
She didn't know if she had accomplished those things.
But…
"Vya doesn't know what she wants to do?"
Mobius observed Vya's state discreetly while reaching out to gently stroke the girl's soft white hair—a rare show of tenderness.
"Don't know."
Vya shook her head.
"Hmm… Go find Elysia?"
Mobius thought for a moment before finally suggesting it.
"But Vya already found her sister."
Vya lifted her little face to look at Mobius.
"And before that? Why did you want to find Elysia?"
Mobius prompted.
"Because Vya likes her!"
The answer came immediately, but then Vya fell into thought. "There seems to be more… but Vya seems to have forgotten."
"..."
"Go find Elysia. Go ask her."
Mobius said.
"Eh, but Sister is busy right now."
"It's fine. Listen to me, go now."
"Ah… okay."
Vya jumped down from the chair.
She dashed for the door.
Mobius also stood up, following behind Vya.
"Goodbye, Sister Mobius."
"Mm."
The moment Vya opened the door,
her figure began to blur, flickering a few times like a hologram with poor signal, then vanished completely.
"Hmm…"
Mobius stood before the empty doorway, a thoughtful smile curling at the corner of her mouth.
"Only usable under special circumstances?"
Witnessing this, she wasn't surprised.
Experiments regarding whether Vya could truly use a Herrscher's power had seen no progress.
But it was only now that Mobius had seen it with her own eyes.
"Eh, Doctor, did someone come just now? Why are you standing there?"
"No one. Just stretching my legs."
"Oh, alright."
Mobius returned to the virtual computer, switching to the external feed. The screen was immediately filled with images of raging winds—the disaster triggered by the fourth Herrscher had begun.
She at least had that level of access.
…
Not long after.
On the outskirts of a city dozens of kilometers from the base, Elysia stood on high ground, her pink hair whipping in the fierce wind.
She gazed at the torn sky and the gradually expanding vortex…
Ato and Kevin had already gone ahead to investigate. The scale of this disaster was still considerable; at the very least, the city before her was already lost.
The nearest shelter was far away, and some people had been at the disaster's epicenter from the start…
Still, she was a bit worried about Vya. What if Vya did something like last time…
She knew Vya was powerful, but… there was still risk.
She hoped Vya would be okay.
Meanwhile, not far from the heavily affected zone.
A young man stood at the highest point in the city, watching the approaching vortex.
The gale tore at Kosma's body.
He had only this one chance. He would hurl the bomb into the wind…
Regardless of the outcome, perhaps he too would perish in the tempest, like those others.
But… this was what he wanted to do.
The vortex drew closer.
Ready.
The vortex neared, fragments of buildings swirling in the air.
Kosma seized the moment and leapt—
The wind immediately caught him.
Kosma threw the bomb…
But there was nothing in the wind to hit.
It was over. Just as he was about to be flung away…
An arm suddenly shot out, firmly grasping his wrist.
A figure immediately shielded him.
That white-haired figure stood there, unyielding.
"Who are you?"
Kosma shouted over the roar of the wind.
His heart pounded like a drum.
This mysterious man didn't look much older than him…
yet he carried an indescribable presence—like a hero stepped out of a story.
A powerful premonition surged within him.
…
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